New 10G TSN endpoint IP core developed for deterministic high-speed Ethernet networks

The demand on Ethernet networks in automotive, industrial, and safety-critical applications is growing rapidly: ever-higher data rates must be combined with precisely predictable timing. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS manages this challenge with a new 10G TSN endpoint IP Core, allowing deterministic real-time communication at data rates of up to 10Gbit/s.

The new 10G TSN Endpoint (EP) is an addition to the institute's portfolio of TSN IP Cores. It is designed for demanding applications that need maximum bandwidth, precise time synchronisation, and reliable data transmission with exact timing. Compared to the previous 1G TSN IP Cores, the new 10G TSN EP IP Core allows a tenfold increase in data throughput, reaching up to 10 Gbit/s, while maintaining consistent, deterministic behaviour throughout the network. Therefore, it supports the development of next-generation real-time Ethernet networks.

The new 10G TSN-EP IP Core is technically based on a robust, hardware-accelerated implementation of time synchronisation according to IEEE 802.1AS-2020 (gPTP). This allows the core to achieve synchronisation accuracies of less than 10 nanoseconds in Ethernet networks and ensures stable time bases, even at very high data rates. It supports key TSN standards, including IEEE 802.1Qav for audio/video traffic shaping, IEEE 802.1Qbv for time-controlled scheduling, IEEE 802.1Qci for per-stream policing, and IEEE 802.1CB (FRER) for redundant, fault-tolerant transmissions.

To facilitate rapid implementation, the institute provides powerful Linux driver packages and reference implementations. The latter covers native XGMII interfaces, as well as common 10G interfaces, such as 10G-BASE-R, SFI, and XFI. These interfaces are found on AMD Xilinx FPGAs, for example. The 10G TSN-EP IP Core is designed for a wide range of proven FPGA and ASIC target platforms, facilitating rapid integration into customer-specific designs.

In modern in-vehicle networks, the core acts as a deterministic backbone for domains such as ADAS, infotainment, and central computers. In sensor technology, the core allows low-loss and low-jitter data paths for video, radar, and lidar data, even during simultaneous multistream operation. In industrial automation, the core supports scalable, real-time networks for synchronised drives, robotics, and image processing lines. Predictable latency budgets across the entire network enhance the reliability and efficiency of complex production facilities.

"With our new 10G TSN endpoint, we are taking an important step in expanding our portfolio of TSN IP Cores and laying the foundation for a series of high-speed TSN IP Cores," says Alexander Noack, division director of Data Communication and Computing (DCC) at Fraunhofer IPMS in Dresden. "This will drive the development of a new generation of IP Cores for real-time, high-speed Ethernet networks, in which precise time synchronisation is crucial – from automotive and industrial applications to aerospace and defence."

As part of the CeCas funding project, Fraunhofer IPMS is developing a supercomputing platform for highly automated automobiles and testing 25G TSN solutions. As well as the new 10G TSN-EP IP Core, a 10G TSN switched endpoint and a 10G TSN switch are in development and will be available later this year.