Implementation of field-programmable Gate array-based clock synchronization in the fiber channel communication system

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Telecommunications

Background:

• Accurate clock synchronization is critical for high-speed serial communication systems like Fiber Channel (FC).
• Existing synchronization methods may not meet the stringent timing requirements of modern data rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a sub-nanosecond clock synchronization scheme for FC communication systems.
• To leverage Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and the IEEE 1588 protocol for precise timing.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a clock synchronization scheme using FPGAs and the embedded IEEE 1588 protocol.
• Employed digital dual mixer time difference and data recovery techniques for phase difference measurement.
• Utilized a mixed-mode clock manager in FPGAs for clock phase compensation.

Main Results:

• Achieved sub-nanosecond clock synchronization in a 12.5 Gbps FC communication system.
• Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization module.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FPGA-based clock synchronization scheme effectively achieves sub-nanosecond accuracy.
• This method is suitable for high-speed FC communication systems requiring precise timing.