Analysis of Time Synchronization for 6G-TSN Networks with Hot Standby

Reliable time synchronization is of utmost importance within 6G networks, particularly when envisioning their role in future industrial automation scenarios that demand deterministic communication. In particular, we focus on the integration of 6G with time-sensitive networking (TSN). Traditionally, the best timeTransmitter clock algorithm (BTCA) is used to dynamically select a grandmaster (GM) for TSN nodes in a 6G-TSN network. However, BTCA’s performance in case of link or device failures is categorized to be slow. The IEEE 802.1ASdm standard addresses this limitation by introducing a hot standby GM in the network. In this paper, we extend the hot standby amendment to 6G-TSN networks to support continuous time synchronization. For the analysis, we develop a simulation framework in OMNeT++. We analyze the performance in terms of clock drift and out-of-sync time for different time synchronization scenarios in case of failures. Having two synchronized GMs in the network reduces the out-of-sync time in case of failure when compared to BTCA.