Time Synchronization Protocols in NI-Sync

A time synchronization protocol is a specific set of standards that enables clocks distributed amongst different systems to maintain the same notion of time to within a certain degree of precision. PXI modules support four different time synchronization protocols: IEEE 1588-2008, GPS, PPS, and IRIG-B. Linux RT targets support the IEEE 802.1AS time synchronization protocol in addition to the four previously-mentioned protocols.

Each time synchronization protocol follows different standards to encode and transmit time data. Though multiple time synchronization protocols can be running at the same time, only one time synchronization protocol can govern the device's various clocks. NI-Sync timing and synchronization modules support the following time synchronization protocols:

NI-Sync use the International Atomic Time (TAI) standard to format timestamps. TAI time is not adjusted for leap seconds. You can convert a LabVIEW timestamp to the TAI and 1588 format using niSync Convert Time Stamp to 1588 Time, or a 1588 timestamp to the LabVIEW format using niSync Convert 1588 Time to Time Stamp.