IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is implemented for the industrial grade Open Source Hardware Linux computer STMP1-OLinuXino-LIME2

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The Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) is for real-time communication with hard, non-negotiable time boundaries for end-to-end transmission latencies.

The main use of TSN is for industrial machine controllers, robots etc.

For this purpose all devices in this network need to have a common time reference and therefore, need to synchronize their clocks among each other. Only through synchronized clocks, it is possible for all network devices to operate in unison and execute the required operation at exactly the required point in time.

The time in TSN networks is usually distributed from one central time source directly through the network itself using the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol, which utilizes Ethernet frames to distribute time synchronization information.

Linutronix helped to implement IEEE 1588 PTP on STMP1-OLinuXino-LIME2.

For Uboot changes Olimex Uboot was used as base. The Kernel patch is sent upstream and can be seen on the mailing list

https://lore.kernel.org/linux-devicetree/20210316080644.19809-1-kurt@linutronix.de/

We also apply these patches in our next STMP1 Linux images release.

The results is correctly working PTP:

# ptp4l -H -2 -i eth0 --tx_timestamp_timeout=40 -f /etc/gPTP.cfg -m
|ptp4l[1434.665]: rms    5 max   13 freq  -1069 +/-   7 delay   325 +/-   0
|ptp4l[1435.666]: rms    8 max   16 freq  -1068 +/-  11 delay   325 +/-   0
|ptp4l[1436.667]: rms   10 max   19 freq  -1060 +/-  12 delay   324 +/-   0
|ptp4l[1437.668]: rms    8 max   17 freq  -1055 +/-  10 delay   322 +/-   0
|ptp4l[1438.668]: rms    6 max    9 freq  -1057 +/-   9 delay   322 +/-   0

This is how Allwinner keep their promise for long term supply with Olimex

Today 39.6 K pcs A13 arrived to our warehouse. This is partial shipment of our 90 K pcs order placed in April, the balance is testing now and will be shipped this month. Allwinner produced these A13 SOC exclusively for us. As you can see from the label these left factory 27th of August 2019:

A13-OLinuXino was our first board with Allwinner SOC.

We released it 7 years ago back in 2012.

Although A13 is officially discontinued from Allwinner web site, A13-SOM and A13-OLinuXino are still very popular boards among our customers and we supply them in large quantity.

This is example how working Long Term supply can be achieved with company from China. Note that Allwinner do not say that they will stop manufacturing A13 after 10 years, they will keep producing as long as their masks are OK and there is demand.