Field Test Plan for Frequency

Synchronization using PTP

Calnex Sentinel

Frequency synchronization is critical for all mobile

technologies. PTP synchronization to NodeB or
eNodeB devices must meet tight ITU-T standard
specifications as well as vendor specific limits.

This test plan provides field test procedures to

ensure high quality synchronization for 3G or LTE
mobile backhaul networks running the PTP protocol.

This test plan is applicable to ALu, Ericsson, Huawei,

NSN, and ZTE base stations, and to Huawei, ALu,
Cisco, Tellabs, ZTE, Juniper, Ericsson and other
cell-site routers/PTN equipment.
Contents
1 Background ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

2 Test Setup ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

2.1 Pseudo-slave Mode: Sentinel connects to cell site router. ........................................................................ 4
2.2 Monitor Mode: Sentinel connects to TAP or splitter. ................................................................................. 4
3 Test Configuration........................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Measurement Mode .................................................................................................................................. 5
3.2 Time Base ................................................................................................................................................. 6
3.3 PTP Mode ................................................................................................................................................. 7
3.4 Packet Selection for FPP Measurements to G.8261.1 .............................................................................. 9
3.5 Vendor Specific Network PDV Distribution (PDD) Pass/Fail Criteria ........................................................ 9
3.6 Select Masks ........................................................................................................................................... 10
3.7 Signal Check ........................................................................................................................................... 10
3.8 Start the Test .......................................................................................................................................... 11
4 Measurement Results Display ...................................................................................................................... 12

5 Test Cases ..................................................................................................................................................... 13

5.1 Network PDV to ITU-T G.8261.1 ............................................................................................................. 13
5.2 Recovered Clock Stability to ITU-T G.8261.1 ......................................................................................... 15
5.3 PTP Packet-to-Packet PDV Capture ....................................................................................................... 16
5.4 Packet Delay Distribution (PDD) Analysis ............................................................................................... 16
5.5 MAFE (Maximum Average Frequency Error) .......................................................................................... 18
6 Test Results Interpretation ........................................................................................................................... 19
6.1 With Slave Clock Output ......................................................................................................................... 19
6.2 Without Slave Clock Output .................................................................................................................... 19
7 Offline Analysis and Report Generation using CAT ................................................................................... 20
7.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 20
7.2 Importing Results .................................................................................................................................... 20
7.3 Selecting Metrics ..................................................................................................................................... 21
7.4 Generating a Report................................................................................................................................ 22
Appendix A: PTP (1588) Synchronization Technology .................................................................................... 23

Appendix B: ITU-T Recommended Network Limits for Packet Networks ...................................................... 25

Appendix C: ITU-T Recommended Slave Clock Network Limits..................................................................... 27
Appendix D: Example Generated Report .......................................................................................................... 28

 Note: All measurement data shown can be imported to the Calnex Analysis Tool (CAT)1 for detailed analysis.

1 Sentinel includes a single copy of CAT

CX5018v0.7 Page 2 of 32
1 Background
Frequency synchronization is critical for all mobile technologies.

The requirements for different mobile technologies are listed in the table below.

Application Frequency Time Packet Backhaul Spec

CDMA2000 ±50 ppb ±3 to 10 µs

TD-SCDMA ±50 ppb ±1.5 µs

GSM ±50 ppb n/a ±16 ppb (G.8261.1)

WCDMA ±50 ppb n/a ±16 ppb (G.8261.1)

LTE (FDD) ±50 ppb n/a ±16 ppb (G.8261.1)

±16 ppb (G.8261)

±1.5 µs (<3 km cell radius)
LTE (TDD) ±50 ppb ±1.1 µs (for ±1.5 µs
±5 µs (<3 km cell radius)
G.8271.1)

LTE-A MBSFN ±50 ppb

±16 ppb (G.8261.1)
±1 to 5 µs
LTE-A CoMP ±50 ppb ±1.1 µs (for ±1.5 µs
Implementation dependent
G.8271.1)
LTE-A eICIC ±50 ppb

n/a (FDD) ±33 ppb

Small Cells ±100 ppb ±1.5 µs (TDD) ±1.1 µs (for ±1.5µs
±1 to 5 µs (eICIC) G.8271.1)

±100 ppb
n/a (FDD)
Home Cells ±250 ppb ±1.1 µs (for ±1.5 µs
±1.5 µS (TDD)
G.8271.1)

 Note: The 50 ppb frequency stability requirement is at the Air interface. For the mobile backhaul, it is
accepted that this translates to a requirement of 16 ppb. For small cells, the requirements are 100 ppb
at the Air interface and 33 ppb for the mobile backhaul.

CX5018v0.7 Page 3 of 32
2 Test Setup
Sentinel works as a PTP2 pseudo slave connecting to a switch or a router in the network. It can also work
in Monitor Mode, connecting between the PTP master and slave via an optical splitter or electrical TAP.
It measures the performance of the network and the performance of the recovered clock simultaneously.
Common interfaces for recovered frequency measurements are E1/T1/2MHz/10MHz.Typical field test
setups using Sentinel are shown below.

2.1 Pseudo-slave Mode: Sentinel connects to cell site router.

2.2 Monitor Mode: Sentinel connects to TAP or splitter.

2 See Appendix A

CX5018v0.7 Page 4 of 32
3 Test Configuration
Before performing any measurements, follow the steps below.

3.1 Measurement Mode

From the main GUI display window, select “Settings > Measurement > Common”.

Set Mode to “TIE + PDV” and set the required test duration. The recommended test duration is
24 hours for normal network performance test. If intermittent issues occur in the network, a
longer test duration may be required in order to capture the intermittent issues.

CX5018v0.7 Page 5 of 32
 3.2 Time Base

Set Sentinel to use the internal clock as time base reference and choose GPS signal as the internal
reference disciplining source. Set to “Wait till Timebase Reference is ready”, and “Always” if a GPS
reference is available. Otherwise, set to “Not during the measurement” if no reference is available. For
other options of time configurations, please consult Sentinel user manual3

 Note 1: From a cold start, it takes around 15 minutes for the internal Rubidium to warm up. With the
GPS signal connected, the GPS receiver needs to lock to at least 3 satellites before it can output
valid reference to Rubidium for disciplining. After that, only one satellite is needed for the GPS
receiver to maintain the lock to GPS.

 Note 2: In case of no GPS signal availability on site of test location, the internal Rubidium can be
trained in advance by applying a GPS signal in the lab before going on site. The embedded battery
on the Sentinel will keep the Rubidium in holdover during the transportation from lab to the field by
setting Sentinel into transport mode. To achieve high accuracy, it is recommended to train the
Rubidium in the lab for at least 12 hours.

 Note 3: To put the Sentinel in Transport Mode, from Sentinel front panel, press on button. The
following window will be displayed. Click on “Yes” to accept the option. Now Transport Mode is
enabled.

 Note 4: Without main power supply present, the battery can keep the internal Rubidium powered for up
to 3 hours. Once the main power is supplied again, the Rubidium will be powered by main supply and
the battery will be charged.

3 Calnex Document CX3001

CX5018v0.7 Page 6 of 32
 3.3 PTP Mode

The Sentinel can work either in Pseudo-slave Mode, or Monitor Mode. Depending on which mode you
wish to use, choose one of the following configuration procedures to configure Sentinel.

3.3.1 Pseudo-slave Mode

If the Sentinel is to operate in Pseudo-slave Mode, configure the PTP slave related
parameters i.e. PTP mode, Domain, Master address, and packet rates as required.

The following table lists the parameters per recommendations G.8265.14 and G.8275.15 profiles.

PTP Transport Master Announce Sync Del_Req

Profile Domain
mode protocol address rate rate rate

Network Network Network Network Network

G.8265.1 Unicast UDP/IP
specific specific specific specific specific

Network Network
G.8275.1 Mulitcast Ethernet 8/s 16/s 16/s
specific specific

4 ITU-T G.8265.1 – PTP profile 1

5 ITU-T G.8275.1 – Full on-path support

CX5018v0.7 Page 7 of 32
 At the same time, set the network related parameters in the following tab including media type,
VLAN, PTP Slave IP address, etc.

 Note: Ensure the IP address of the Sentinel pseudo-slave is provisioned before going out into the
field.

3.3.2 Monitor Mode

If the Sentinel is to operate in Monitor Mode, then use the “Discover…” function to automatically
detect the Master/Slave. The system will automatically update the Master/Slave settings per the
discovery. Configure this page only if Sentinel is to be used in Monitor Mode.

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 3.4 Packet Selection for FPP Measurements to G.8261.1

Configure the packet selection parameters as follows.

1. Select “Fwd PDV (Sync)” from the dropdown box.

2. Set the parameters for packet selection.
3. Set Pass/Fail criteria for FPP analysis. Please refer to appendix for definition of FPP.

3.5 Vendor Specific Network PDV Distribution (PDD) Pass/Fail Criteria

Configure the Pass/Fail criteria for Packet Delay Distribution (PDD) analysis. This Pass/Fail criteria is
vendor specific. Please consult vendors for parameters. If vendor has no specification for network PDV,
then there is no need to configure this page.

CX5018v0.7 Page 9 of 32
 3.6 Select Masks

Select packet metric related masks from the “Settings > Measurement > Masks” tab. G.8261.1 Case 3 is
recommended for network conformance test. This mask is explained in Appendix B.

3.7 Signal Check

1. Click on the “Signal Check” button.

2. Make sure the signal check detects the expected signals. An example screen shot is shown below.

CX5018v0.7 Page 10 of 32
 3.8 Start the Test

1. Click on the “Start” button.

2. Sentinel will prompt you to select where to store the measurement results. The results can be either
saved on Sentinel or external USB sticks.

 Note: For longer term measurements, it is always recommended to use external USB memory sticks
for sufficient storage space.

CX5018v0.7 Page 11 of 32
4 Measurement Results Display
Once the measurement starts, the TIE graphs of the recovered clock and SyncE will be displayed on the main
GUI window. All TIE graphs will be displayed in the same window, but highlighted in different colors.

If the PTP GM and the Sentinel emulated Slave establish the session successfully, the negotiated parameters
will be displayed in the channel specific widget as below:

PDV, for forward, reverse and path delay are also graphed. To view PDV for forward, reverse and path delay,
click on the Fwd PDV, Rev PDV and Path Delay buttons on the metrics menu.

CX5018v0.7 Page 12 of 32
5 Test Cases
The following Test Cases 5.1 and 5.2 evaluate the performance of the network and the recovered clock
against the ITU-T G.8261.1 recommendation. Test Cases 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 provide further troubleshooting and
debugging information to perform further analysis on the results of 5.1 and 5.2.

 Note: All test cases can run at the same time, that is, ONE single test.

5.1 Network PDV to ITU-T G.8261.1

The Floor Packet Percent (FPP) metric is specified in ITU-T G.8260 and is used to evaluate the Network
PDV. Pass/Fail evaluation is compared against the limit specified in ITU-T G.8261.1. Please refer to the
Appendix for more information.

5.1.1 FPP Measurement and Analysis

To view FPP, click on the “Sel PDV” button on the metrics menu. Then, from the drop down menu,
select “FPP”. The Pass/Fail status to G.8261.1 limits will be displayed in the input signal data window
(arrowed below).

CX5018v0.7 Page 13 of 32
 5.1.2 Sample FPP Test Results

Example
Results

Within FPP limits - Pass FPP close to limits FPP outside limits - Fail

 Priority setting wrong  Priority setting wrong

Possible  Network congestion  Network congestion
n/a
Causes  Re-route event  Re-route event
 Network equipment failure  Network equipment failure

 Congestion causes  Congestion causes

depopulation of the floor delay depopulation of the floor
Possible  Re-routes move the floor, delay
n/a
Impact reducing “headroom’ for the  Re-routes move the floor,
FPP analysis eliminating all packets within
the cluster range

 Visual inspection for re-routes  Visual inspection for re-routes

and/or congestion and/or congestion
 If re-route event occurs,  If re-route event occurs,
segment the data into segment the data into
separate data sets separate data sets
 Apply FPP analysis separately  Apply FPP analysis
Next
n/a to each data set separately to each data set.
Action  If congestion, check PTP  If congestion, check PTP
running at highest priority. running at highest priority
 Check for over-subscription of  Check for over-subscription of
allocated data rate allocated data rate
 Measure further back in the  Measure further back in the
network network

CX5018v0.7 Page 14 of 32
 5.2 Recovered Clock Stability to ITU-T G.8261.16

5.2.1 Compare with MTIE Mask

To view MTIE and compare with the mask, click

on the “TIE” button first. Then, from drop down
box, select “MTIE”. The G.8261.1 mask will also
appear in the same display area. Multiple masks
can be selected at the same time for
comparison. The screenshot shows the
recovered clock wander measurement.

5.2.2 Sample G.8261.1 Test Results

Example
Results

Within G.8261.1 limits Close to G.8261.1 limits Outside G.8261.1 limits

 The network PDV is  The network PDV is too

stressing the slave to its limit stressful for the slave
with the current network  The priority setting for PTP
configuration packets may be too low
Possible  Network equipment failure  The traffic level in the
n/a
Causes network may be too high
 Temperature variation may
impact the performance of
clocks
 Network equipment failure

 Interference at air interface  Interference at air interface

Possible  Drop calls  Drop calls
n/a
Impact  Handover failure  Handover failure
 Slow data transmission  Slow data transmission

 Share the PDV capture with  Share the PDV capture with
the PTP slave vendor (and PTP slave vendor (and
NodeB vendor if external NodeB vendor if external
slave is used) slave is used)
 Replay the PDV in the lab to  Replay the PDV using
troubleshoot and adjust the Paragon-X in the lab to
slave algorithm to increase troubleshoot and adjust
Next
n/a margin Client algorithm to enable it
Action  Consider re-routes and/or to pass mask
re-engineering the network  Consider re-routes and/or re-
to reduce PDV stress engineering the network to
 Measure further back in the reduce PDV stress
network  Measure further back in the
 Re-test network
 Re-test

6 ITU-T G.8261.1 specifies the wander limit at the clock out interface of a PTP client

CX5018v0.7 Page 15 of 32
 5.3 PTP Packet-to-Packet PDV Capture

The PTP PDV graph gives information such as:

 Average/standard deviation of PDV

 Delay jumps due to routing changes

From the PDV graphs, post-analysis can be performed on the data such as packet metrics. These PDV
files can be sent back to the operator’s lab or the vendor’s R&D center’s to reproduce the exact same
PDV conditions experienced by the slave in the network and take remedial action.

5.3.1 View PDV Graph

To view the PDV graphs for Sync, Del-Request and Path Delay, click on Fwd PDV (Sync), Rev PDV
(Del-Req), and Path Delay from the metric menu to display.

5.4 Packet Delay Distribution (PDD) Analysis

Performing PDD analysis is important for many vendor’s NodeB equipment. Many NodeB devices have a
specification where the distribution of the packets should meet particular limits.

5.4.1 Analyze and View PDD

To analyze PDD on the Sentinel, select Fwd PDV (Sync), Rev PDV (DelReq) or Path Delay from the
metrics menu. Then, from drop down box, select “Distribution”.

CX5018v0.7 Page 16 of 32
 5.4.2 Sample PDD Test Results

Example
Results

Within PDD limits - Pass PDD close to limits PDD outside limits - Fail

 Priority setting wrong  Priority setting wrong

Possible  Network congestion  Network congestion
n/a
Causes  Re-route event  Re-route event
 Network equipment failure  Network equipment failure

 Congestion causes
 Congestion causes
depopulation of the floor
depopulation of the floor delay
Possible delay
n/a  Re-routes move the floor,
Impact  Re-routes move the floor,
reducing “headroom’ for the
eliminating all packets within
PDD analysis.
the cluster range.

 Visual inspection for re-routes  Visual inspection for re-routes

and/or congestion and/or congestion
 If re-route event occurs,  If re-route event occurs,
segment the data into segment the data into
separate data sets separate data sets
 Apply PDD analysis  Apply PDD analysis
Next
n/a separately to each data set separately to each data set
Action  If congestion, check PTP  If congestion, check PTP
running at highest priority. running at highest priority.
 Check for over-subscription of  Check for over-subscription of
allocated data rate. allocated data rate.
 Measure further back in the  Measure further back in the
network network

 Note: Consult each vendor for their specific Pass/Fail PDD limits.
These limits are not available from the standards.

CX5018v0.7 Page 17 of 32
 5.5 MAFE (Maximum Average Frequency Error)

MAFE is a metric specified in ITU-T G.8260 that can be used to analyze the Network PDV further. In
particular, this is a metric used to evaluate Network PDV when PTP Slaves integrated into Nokia Systems
Networks’ FlexiBTS are used.

5.5.1 MAFE Calculation and Analysis

Before performing PDV capture, configure

the packet selection parameters and select
packet metrics related to masks.

5.5.2 Sample MAFE Test Results

Example
Results

Within MAFE limits MAFE close to limits MAFE outside limits

 Priority setting wrong  Priority setting wrong

Possible  Network congestion  Network congestion
n/a
Causes  Re-route event  Re-route event
 Network equipment failure  Network equipment failure

 Congestion causes  Congestion causes

depopulation of the floor delay depopulation of the floor
Possible  Re-routes move the floor, delay.
n/a
Impact reducing “headroom’ for the  Re-routes move the floor,
MAFE analysis. eliminating all packets within
the cluster range.

 Visual inspection for re-routes  Visual inspection for re-routes

and/or congestion. and/or congestion.
 If re-route event occurs,  If re-route event occurs,
segment the data into segment the data into
separate data sets. separate data sets.
 Apply MAFE analysis  Apply MAFE analysis
Next separately to each data set. separately to each data set.
n/a
Action  If congestion, check PTP  If congestion, check PTP
running at highest priority. running at highest priority.
Also check for over- Also check for over-
subscription of allocated data subscription of allocated data
rate. rate.
 Measure further back in the  Measure further back in the
network network

CX5018v0.7 Page 18 of 32
6 Test Results Interpretation

6.1 With Slave Clock Output

Slave Clock Output (5.2)

Pass Fail
Network PDV (5.1)

Contact PTP Slave vendor *

Pass OK Please refer to the “next

action” in section 5.2

Network re-route or re-

engineer may be required.
Network PDV is high but PTP
Fail slave can work OK with it **
Please refer to the “next
action” in sections 5.1 and 5.2

* Network PDV has been deemed to meet FPP limits. However, Network PDV packet-to-packet
analysis as well as Packet Delay Distribution (5.3, 5.4, and 5.5) should also be analyzed and sent to
the PTP Slave vendor to allow troubleshooting.

** Although the PDV is OK for this PTP slave, any software update to the slave or using a different PTP
slave in the network, may cause a failure. It is advised that further testing is performed to validate the
slave’s performance.

6.2 Without Slave Clock Output

In case of no clock output from the slave, always check the measurement results from section 5.3, 5.4 and
5.5 for further actions.

 Note: This test procedure focuses on frequency synchronization using PTP. Please refer to other test
documents from Calnex for frequency synchronization using NTP7 and synchronization test for TDD-LTE.8

7 Calnex Document number CX5017

8 Calnex Document number CX5019

CX5018v0.7 Page 19 of 32
7 Offline Analysis and Report Generation using CAT

7.1 Overview

The Calnex Analysis Tool (CAT) is standalone software for MTIE/TDEV, MAFE, FPP and PDD analysis.
The captured raw data from Sentinel9 can be imported to CAT for comprehensive metric analysis,
including pass/fail masks. Reports are easily generated with a single click from CAT, presenting results to
your customers/colleagues in a professional manner.

7.2 Importing Results

To import data from Sentinel to CAT, from CAT GUI interface select “Application > Select File > Open
File” or select and drag target files from file explorer to the CAT GUI. Multiple files can be imported at
the same time.

9 Data can also be imported from Calnex Paragon-X and Calnex Paragon-t products

CX5018v0.7 Page 20 of 32
 7.3 Selecting Metrics

Select required metrics for analysis from “Application->Select Metrics” after the measurement files
have been imported.

CX5018v0.7 Page 21 of 32
 7.4 Generating a Report10

To create a report, simply click on “Generate Report” from CAT GUI.

Front cover shows General and Test Configuration, with Pass/Fail clearly indicated.

10 See Appendix D for an example report

CX5018v0.7 Page 22 of 32
Appendix A: PTP (1588) Synchronization Technology

PTP (Precision Time Protocol) is an industry-standard protocol that enables the precise transfer of frequency and
time to synchronize clocks over packet-based Ethernet networks. It synchronizes the local slave clock on each
network device with a system Grandmaster clock and uses traffic time-stamping, with sub-nanoseconds
granularity, to deliver the very high accuracies of synchronization needed to ensure the stability of base station
frequency and handovers. Timestamps between master and slave devices are sent within specific PTP packets
and in its basic form the protocol is administration-free.

Of course, the precision and performance of PTP is based on the precision of the timestamp. The timestamps of
incoming and outgoing packets clearly need to be recorded and assessed to ensure synchronization of master
and slave devices. Differences in time and frequency between clocks and subsequent equipment corrections
need to be evaluated, while clocks must be measured to ensure they are within their specified limits. Further,
delays and drifts in sync and their effect on the transfer of timing through the network need to be considered too.
Here, we examine the precision of timestamp synchronization, as well as the accuracy of clocks under various
network scenarios, before deploying equipment in an operational network.

There are two types of message in the PTP protocol: Event Messages and General Messages. Event messages
are timed messages whereby an accurate timestamp is generated both at transmission and receipt of the
message. General messages do not require timestamps but may contain timestamps for their associated event
message.

Events messages include Sync, Follow-up, Delay-Request and Delay-Response. The PTP workflow is shown
below.

CX5018v0.7 Page 23 of 32
Once the Slave knows the timing of t1, t2, t3, and t4, it can calculate the mean propagation delay (Tmpd) of the
messages path and slave clock offset. This can be calculated by:

 Tmpd = ((t2-t1) + (t4-t3)) / 2

 Offset = t2-t1-Tmpd

CX5018v0.7 Page 24 of 32
Appendix B: ITU-T Recommended Network Limits for Packet Networks

Maximum average time interval error (MATIE) and Maximum average frequency error (MAFE)

MATIE and MAFE describes maximum phase or frequency deviations. MATIE/MAFE include a noise averaging
function similar to TDEV.

MATIE can be estimated by the following formula:

where xi is the packet time error sequence (and is a random sequence), nτ0 is the observation window length, n
is the number of samples in the window, τ0 is the sample interval, N is the number of samples in the data set,
and k is incremented for sliding the window. MATIE describes the maximum of average time changes between
adjacent windows of length nτ0.

There is a simple relationship between MATIE and MAFE:

MAFE may be estimated as:

which is the average of MATIE over the observation window length.

Floor Packet Percent (FPP) by definition is the percentage of packets that fall into the given fixed cluster range
starting at the observed floor delay.

MATIE, MAFE and FPP are applicable to defining the network limits.

CX5018v0.7 Page 25 of 32
Network Limits

ITU-T G.8261.1 defines different level of reference points and their network limits in packet networks for
frequency synchronization as follows.

Network limits are specified at different level of reference points. At reference point C, the packet network limits
are expressed in terms of the relevant PDV based metric as follows:

With window interval W = 200s and fixed cluster range δ = 150μs starting at the floor delay, the network transfer
characteristic quantifying the proportion of delivered packets that meet the delay criterion should satisfy

FPP (n, W, δ) ≥ 1%

That is the floor packet percentage must exceed 1%.

MAFE and FPP are packet based network limits at reference point C which are mentioned in this document as
test procedure 5.1 and 5.5.

CX5018v0.7 Page 26 of 32
Appendix C: ITU-T Recommended Slave Clock Network Limits

Per the above network reference model, ITU-T also defines the network limit in terms of frequency wander at
reference point D. This is to measure the accuracy or wander of the recovered Slave clock normally done at the
frequency output interface on Slave (NodeB), such as 2MHz, 2Mbits or 10MHz.

The output wander network limit applicable at reference point D is provided by the graph below. It is in terms of
MTIE. This is discussed in section 5.2 in this document.

CX5018v0.7 Page 27 of 32
Appendix D: Example Generated Report

CX5018v0.7 Page 28 of 32
CX5018v0.7 Page 29 of 32
CX5018v0.7 Page 30 of 32
CX5018v0.7 Page 31 of 32
Calnex Solutions Ltd
Oracle Campus
Linlithgow
West Lothian EH49 7LR
United Kingdom

t: +44 (0) 1506 671 416

e: [email protected]

calnexsol.com

© Calnex Solutions Ltd, 2016

This document is subject to change without notice.

CX5018 v0.7 July 16