Distributed Clocks in EtherCAT: Architecture and Implementation

This whitepaper covers the theory and implementation of distributed clock synchronization in EtherCAT networks, including drift compensation, propagation delay measurement, and practical tuning for sub-microsecond synchronization across 128+ axes.

Topics Covered

• IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol fundamentals
• EtherCAT DC implementation specifics
• System time vs reference clock vs local clocks
• Propagation delay compensation algorithms
• Practical tuning parameters and their effects
• Measuring and validating synchronization quality