IEEE 1588 vs SyncE: Fundamental Differences

IEEE 1588 vs SyncE

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Question

Which are the two fundamental ways in which IEEE 1588 differs from SyncE? (Choose two.)

Answers

A. In addition to frequency synchronization, it achieves ToD synchronization to achieve phase alignment which is required for multi-channel communication.

B. It is a purely-based solution, with the actual clock values being passed inside the payloads of special packets dedicated to that task.

C. It offers two major changes over traditional Ethernet to make it suitable for clock distribution: a mandated clock accuracy and the ESMC protocol for clock selection, distribution, management, traceability, and failover.

D. SyncE is a Cisco proprietary ToD technology where IEEE 1588 is a industry standard recommended for interoperability across vendor devices.

E. IEEE 1588 applies to voice-only systems or with low-bandwidth data traffic.

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Explanations

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A. B. C. D. E.

AB.

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1278660

IEEE 1588 and SyncE are both technologies used for clock synchronization in telecommunication networks, but they differ in fundamental ways. The two ways in which they differ are:

Achieving phase alignment:

IEEE 1588 achieves Time of Day (ToD) synchronization to achieve phase alignment between different clocks in the network. This is important for multi-channel communication, where the timing of the different channels needs to be synchronized for proper functioning of the system. SyncE, on the other hand, only achieves frequency synchronization, and does not address phase alignment.

Method of synchronization:

IEEE 1588 is a packet-based solution, with the actual clock values being passed inside the payloads of special packets dedicated to that task. This method is known as packet time stamping. In contrast, SyncE is a physical layer-based solution, where the clock values are derived from the frequency of the Ethernet signals themselves. This is done by embedding a synchronization signal in the Ethernet signal, which is then used to derive the clock values.

Therefore, options A and B are correct. Option C is not correct, as it describes the features of SyncE, not IEEE 1588. Option D is not correct, as SyncE is not a Cisco proprietary ToD technology. Finally, option E is not correct, as IEEE 1588 is not limited to voice-only systems or low-bandwidth data traffic.

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