Intel E810 Series Powering Next-Gen Networks with PTP Synchronization

As global connectivity expands, ensuring precise time synchronization across data centers has become more critical than ever. From messaging and video conferencing to online gaming and data transactions, countless services rely on accurate timing across multiple servers and locations. Even a single out-of-sync server can lead to noticeable delays and errors, impacting user experience and system performance.

Precision Time Protocol (PTP) offers significantly greater accuracy, reducing network delays and ensuring seamless synchronization. With IEEE 1588 PTP v2 support, Intel E810 series network adapters enable nanosecond-level precision, making them ideal for 5G RAN, financial services, industrial automation, and other time-sensitive applications.

FS Intel E810 Series Network Adapters Overview

FS provides 3 Intel network adapters, E810XXVAM2-2BP, E810XXVDA4, E810CAM2-2CP, based on original Intel chips, deliver date rate from 25G to 100G, offer workload-optimized performance and the flexibility to meet changing network requirements, ideal for high-performance server workloads such as NFV, storage, HPC-AI, and hybrid cloud.

The E810XXVAM2-2BP is built on the Intel E810-XXVAM2 controller, featuring dual SFP28 ports and supporting a PCIe 4.0 x8 host interface. It is comparable to the Intel E810-XXVDA2.

The E810XXVDA4 is built on the Intel E810-CAM2 controller, featuring quad SFP28 ports and supporting a PCIe 4.0 x16 host interface.

The E810CAM2-2CP is built on the Intel E810-XXVAM2 controller, featuring dual QSFP28 ports and supporting a PCIe 4.0 x16 host interface. It is comparable to the Intel E810-CQDA2.

Nanosecond-Precision PTP with Intel E810 Adapters

Increasing growth in 5G RAN and edge deployments is driving demand for high-precision timing synchronization across the network. Meet these challenging requirements head-on with a standards-based PCIe adapter that provides greater flexibility at a lower price point than single-purpose timing appliances. Most 5G RAN deployments use 1588 PTP, SyncE, or both to ensure required timing synchronization. Both of these synchronization methods are supported by the E810 series, while additional hardware enhancements ensure reliability and accuracy, and provide greater flexibility and simplicity for timing synchronization deployments. Intel E810 Series supports IEEE 1588 PTP v2. The products provide increased accuracy at single-digit nanosecond level and can report the reception time for every packet.

IEEE 1588 PTP enables synchronization of systems on a network through the transfer of timing data (including frequency, phase, and time of day) with hardware timestamping in PTP packets. The Precision Time Protocol (PTP), defined in the IEEE 1588 standard, achieves synchronization at nanosecond precision of real-time clocks across networked devices. These clocks are structured in a Master-Client hierarchy. PTP identifies the port connected to the device with the most accurate clock, known as the Master clock. All other devices within the network synchronize their clocks with the Master clock, and referred to as members. Ongoing exchange of timing messages ensures continual synchronization. PTP ensures the selection of the best available clock as the time source of the network (referred to as the grandmaster clock), with all other network clocks synchronized to this clock.

Benefits of PTP

Smart grid power automation applications, such as peak-hour billing, virtual power generators, and outage monitoring and management, require precise time accuracy and stability. Timing precision improves network monitoring accuracy and troubleshooting ability. In addition to providing time accuracy and synchronization, the PTP message-based protocol can be implemented on packet-based networks, such as Ethernet networks. The benefits of using PTP in an Ethernet network include:

Low cost and easy setup in existing Ethernet networks

Limited bandwidth requirement for PTP data packets

Network timing ensures that messages sent across the world appear in real time. Without accurate synchronization among servers, delays are inevitable. PTP enhances everyday network transactions, making them even faster while helping systems detect and prevent network congestion.

In gaming, PTP reduces lag, a major frustration for online players. Lag occurs when systems fall out of sync, and as cloud gaming grows with increasingly complex graphics, PTP’s ability to minimize latency will be essential for a seamless gaming experience.

IEEE 1588 PTP v2 timing accuracy supported by Intel Ethernet 800 Series can help ensure tight synchronization across network deployments ranging from 5G RAN to financial services, industrial automation, and energy monitoring.

Conclusion

In summary, the Intel E810 Series adapters, combined with PTP technology, provide a robust, flexible, and high-precision solution for modern network challenges. They empower industries to achieve tighter synchronization, improved performance, and greater efficiency, meeting the demands of next-generation applications and deployments.