Add-on module for synchronizing operations of a plurality of devices

• US 20060056459A1
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cutler, Robert T., Pleasant, Daniel L., Kailasam, Gopalakrishnan, Werenka, Leon K., Stratton, John B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0667 Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays arrangements for monitoring round trip delays in packet switching networks H04L43/0864
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0697 Synchronisation in a packet node
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A system and method are provided which add, via an add-on module, synchronization functionality to an instrument that does not otherwise support such synchronization functionality. Various synchronization techniques may be supported by the synchronization module. For instance, in certain embodiments the synchronization module supports message-based synchronization techniques and/or time-based synchronization techniques. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the add-on module supports synchronization with another device (e.g., another instrument or another add-on module coupled to an instrument) via synchronized local clocks (e.g., IEEE 1588) and messaging over a communication network. In certain embodiments, the add-on module additionally or alternatively supports the use of “time bombs” to trigger scheduled actions on the instrument with which the synchronization module is interfaced.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a synchronization module interfaced with a first of at least two devices, wherein the synchronization module includes means for synchronizing its clock with at least a second of the at least two devices;

the synchronization module comprises a means for receiving, via a communication network, a message that includes a timestamp and identifies an event; and

the synchronization module comprises a means for determining a responsive action to cause the first of said at least two devices to take in response to the identified event, wherein a determined action is taken based on the timestamp included in the message.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for synchronizing comprises:

means for implementing IEEE 1588 standard.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for synchronizing comprises:

means for actively synchronizing said clock of said synchronization module with a clock of said at least a second of the at least two devices by interacting with said at least a second of the at least two devices.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said timestamp is based on the clock of a device sending the message, and wherein said clock of said synchronization module is synchronized with the clock of the sending device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said synchronization module further comprises:

means for communicating a message to the second of the at least two devices.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for communicating comprises:

means for broadcasting said message via said communication network.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for broadcasting sends said message via User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for receiving the message comprises:

means for receiving a broadcast message over said communication network.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the synchronization module is programmable as to the responsive action to take in response to the identified event.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least two devices are instruments in a measurement system.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least two devices are synthetic instruments.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the second of the at least two devices comprises a synchronization module coupled to an instrument.

13. A synchronization module comprising:

an interface for communicatively coupling to a first of at least two devices;

a local clock that is synchronized with a clock of at least a second of the at least two devices; and

an event manager that is operable to receive messages via a communication network, wherein the messages include information identifying an event and a timestamp, and wherein the event manager is operable to determine whether to trigger an action by the first device with which the synchronization module is coupled responsive to an identified event in a received message.

14. The synchronization module of claim 13 wherein if an action is determined to be triggered, such action is triggered based on the timestamp included in the received message.

15. The synchronization module of claim 14 wherein the action is triggered at the timestamp included in the received message.

16. The synchronization module of claim 14 wherein the action is triggered at a defined time relative to the timestamp in the received message.

17. The synchronization module of claim 13 wherein the synchronization module and the at least a second of the at least two devices actively synchronize their clocks by interacting with each other.

18. The synchronization module of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of said messages is sent by said at least a second of the at least two devices, and wherein said timestamp is based on the clock of said at least a second of the at least two devices.

19. The synchronization module of claim 13 wherein the event manager is operable to broadcast a message over said communication network responsive to an identified event.

20. The synchronization module of claim 13 wherein the event manager is programmable as to the action to trigger in response to the identified event.

21. A synchronization module comprising:

an interface for communicatively coupling with an instrument; and

an event manager that is operable to trigger at least one action on said instrument to synchronize the performance of said at least one action with performance of another action by at least one other instrument.

22. The synchronization module of claim 21 wherein the event manager is operable to trigger said at least one action on said instrument responsive to a message received via a communication network.

23. The synchronization module of claim 22 wherein said message includes identification of an event and a timestamp.

24. The synchronization module of claim 23 wherein said event manager is programmable as to the at least one action to trigger responsive to a specified event.

25. The synchronization module of claim 23 wherein said event manager triggers said at least one action based on the timestamp included in said message.

26. The synchronization module of claim 21 wherein the event manager is operable to trigger said at least one action on said instrument responsive to a scheduled time occurring.

27. The synchronization module of claim 26 wherein the event manager is programmable as to the scheduled time and the at least one action to trigger at said scheduled time.

28. A method comprising:

interfacing a synchronization module with an instrument, wherein said synchronization module provides functionality for synchronizing operation of said instrument with at least one other instrument; and

triggering, by said synchronization module, at least one action on said instrument to synchronize the performance of said at least one action by said instrument with performance of another action by said at least one other instrument.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said triggering comprises:

activating a trigger line coupled from said synchronization module to said instrument.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said triggering comprises:

sending a command from said synchronization module to said instrument.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said triggering comprises:

triggering the at least one action on said instrument responsive to a message received via a communication network.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said message includes identification of an event and a timestamp.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

said synchronization module receiving a programming message that programs the event manager as to the at least one action to trigger responsive to a specified event.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said triggering further comprises:

triggering said at least one action based on the timestamp included in said message.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein said triggering comprises:

triggering said at least one action on said instrument responsive to a scheduled time occurring.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

said synchronization module receiving a programming message that programs the event manager as to the scheduled time and the at least one action to trigger at said scheduled time.

37. A method comprising:

interfacing a synchronization module with an instrument;

programming the synchronization module to define an action for the instrument to take responsive to a specified event;

receiving, by the synchronization module, messages via a communication network from at least one other device with which the synchronization module is temporally synchronized, wherein the messages each identify an event and include a timestamp;

determining, by the synchronization module, whether an event identified by a received message is the specified event; and

if the event identified by a received message is the specified event, then the synchronization module causing the instrument to take the defined action based on the timestamp of the received message.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein causing the instrument to take the defined action based on the timestamp of the received message comprises:

causing the instrument to take the defined action at the timestamp of the received message.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein causing the instrument to take the defined action based on the timestamp of the received message comprises:

causing the instrument to take the defined action at a defined time relative to the timestamp of the received message.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein said at least one other device comprises a synchronization module interfaced with an instrument.

41. A method comprising:

receiving, by a synchronization module interfaced with a first of a plurality of devices, a message that includes identification of an action and a detonation time, wherein said synchronization module has a local clock synchronized with a local clock of a second of said plurality of devices and wherein said synchronization module is communicatively coupled with said second of said plurality of devices via a communication network;

monitoring by the synchronization module, its local clock for the occurrence of the detonation time; and

upon occurrence of the detonation time, then the synchronization module causing the first device with which it is interfaced to perform the action.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said action comprises taking a measurement.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein said synchronized clocks are synchronized using one selected from the group consisting of:

IEEE 1588 and Network Time Protocol (NTP).

44. The method of claim 41 wherein said detonation time comprises an absolute time.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein said detonation time comprises a relative time.