ntservice.ini Parameters

Time-Stamping and Time Synchronization

Platform
Napatech SmartNIC
Content Type
User Guide
Capture Software Version
Link™ Capture Software 12.2

In this section

This section describes the parameters used in the ntservice.ini file (see DN-0449) for configuration of time-stamping and time synchronization.

Parameters for time-stamping and time synchronization

This table describes the parameters that can be used in the ntservice.ini file for time-stamping and time synchronization configuration.
Note: TimestampFormat and TimestampMethod are global system parameters. The rest of the parameters are individual for each SmartNIC.
Note: Not all parameters apply to the Intel® PAC with Intel® Arria® 10 GX FPGA running Napatech Link™ Capture Software, since not all time synchronization features apply to this SmartNIC.
Note: TimestampInjectAlways, TimestampInjectDynamicOffset and TimestampInjectStaticOffset only apply to NT200A02 SmartNICs running on a test and measurement image.
Parameter Description
TimestampFormat Specifies the time stamp format (see Specifying the Time Stamp Format).
TimestampMethod Determines if received frames are time-stamped when the last byte is received or, not applying to NT40E3-4-PTP running on the capture/replay image, to NT40A01-4×10/1-SLB nor to Intel® PAC A10 GX, when the first byte is received; and if the last or, not applying to NT40E3-4-PTP running on the capture/replay image, to NT40A01-4×10/1-SLB nor to Intel® PAC A10 GX, the first byte of a frame is transmitted according to the time stamp in the packet descriptor (see Specifying the Time Stamp Method). For NT200A02 SmartNICs running on a test and measurement image, the setting also determines if the time stamp value, when a time stamp is injected into a transmitted frame, is the time when the first byte of the frame is put on the wire, or the time when the last byte of the frame is put on the wire.
TimeSyncOsTimeReference Allows the OS time to be synchronized to the time of a SmartNIC (see Synchronizing OS Time to SmartNIC Time).
TimestampInjectAlways Determines if a time stamp is injected in all frames to be transmitted (see Configuring Global Time Stamp Injection).
TimestampInjectDynamicOffset Determines if the offset is calculated from the start of the frame, from the end of the frame, from the start of the layer 3 header or from the start of the layer 4 header, when a time stamp is injected into a transmitted frame (see Setting the Time Stamp Injection Offset).
TimestampInjectStaticOffset Determines the actual offset calculated from the dynamic offset specified in TimestampInjectDynamicOffset, when a time stamp is injected into a transmitted frame (see Setting the Time Stamp Injection Offset).
TimeSyncConnectorExt1 Specifies the usage and mode of the external SMA time synchronization connector/port (see Configuring the Time Synchronization Connectors and the Time Synchronization Time and Frequency Reference Priorities).
TimeSyncConnectorInt1 Specifies the usage and mode of internal time synchronization connector 1 (see Configuring the Time Synchronization Connectors and the Time Synchronization Time and Frequency Reference Priorities).
TimeSyncConnectorInt2 Specifies the usage and mode of internal time synchronization connector 2 (see Configuring the Time Synchronization Connectors and the Time Synchronization Time and Frequency Reference Priorities).
TimeSyncReferencePriority Specifies a priority list for the clock references when more than one reference is used (see Configuring the Time Synchronization Connectors and the Time Synchronization Time and Frequency Reference Priorities).
TimeSyncFrequencyReferencePriority Specifies the time synchronization frequency reference (see Configuring the Time Synchronization Connectors and the Time Synchronization Time and Frequency Reference Priorities).
TimeSyncTimeOffset Only applies to NT-TS and PPS time synchronization. Sets the time synchronization signal delay compensation (see Compensating for Signal Delays).
HighFrequencySampling Only applies to NT-TS time synchronization. Determines if synchronized sets of external time and SmartNIC time are obtained every second or every20 μs for a master SmartNIC connected to other NT equipment (see Getting Sets of External Time and SmartNIC Time Every 20 µs).
TimeSyncHardReset Determines if the clock is allowed to jump in time.
TimeSyncNTTSInSyncLimit Specifies the limit for when a SmartNIC is in NT-TS synchronization (see Specifying the NT-TS In-Synchronization Limit)
TimeSyncOSInSyncLimit Specifies the limit for when a SmartNIC is in OS synchronization (see Specifying the OS In-Synchronization Limit)
TimeSyncPTPInSyncLimit Specifies the limit for when a SmartNIC is in PTP synchronization (see Specifying the PTP In-Synchronization Limit)
TimeSyncPPSInSyncLimit Specifies the limit for when a SmartNIC is in PPS synchronization (see Specifying the PPS In-Synchronization Limit)
TimeSyncClockAdjustmentMode Specifies the time synchronization clock adjustment mode (see Setting the Time Synchronization Clock Adjustment Mode).
PtpProfile Specifies the PTP profile (see Setting the PTP Profile).
PtpIpAddr Assigns a static IP address to the Ethernet port (see Configuring the External RJ45 Time Synchronization Connector/Port).
PtpNetMask Specifies an IPv4 netmask for the Ethernet port (see Configuring the External RJ45 Time Synchronization Connector/Port).
PtpGw Specifies an IPv4 gateway in unicast mode for the Ethernet port (see Configuring the External RJ45 Time Synchronization Connector/Port).
PtpVlanId Assigns a VLAN ID to all packets transmitted from the Ethernet port (see Configuring the External RJ45 Time Synchronization Connector/Port).
PtpVlanPrio Specifies a priority that is assigned to all packets transmitted from the Ethernet port (see Configuring the External RJ45 Time Synchronization Connector/Port).
PtpDhcp Enables or disables DHCP-assigned IP settings on the Ethernet port (see Configuring the External RJ45 Time Synchronization Connector/Port).
PtpUserDescription Allows the user to add a description string to the SmartNIC clock (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpClockPriority1 Specifies the priority1 value used by the BMCA (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpClockPriority2 Specifies the priority2 value used by the BMCA (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpClockDomain Specifies a PTP clock domain (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpDelMech Specifies the PTP delay mechanisms used for propagation delay measurements (see Applying a PTP Delay Mechanism).
PtpDelrMinInterval Specifies the minimum time interval between 2 adjacent delay requests in multicast master mode or unicast slave mode (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpAnncInterval Specifies the time interval between 2 adjacent announce messages in multicast master mode or unicast slave mode (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpAnncTmo Specifies the announce time-out multiplier (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpSynInterval Specifies the time interval between 2 adjacent synchronization messages in multicast master mode or unicast slave mode (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpPDelInterval Specifies the time interval between 2 adjacent delay requests when the peer-to-peer delay mechanism is selected (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpCommTech Specifies the communication transport protocol to use (see Configuring the PTP Clock).
PtpFilter Determines if a filter is applied to measured propagation delay values (see Applying a Synchronization Filter).
PtpMinFilterLen Specifies the filter length in number of samples for a minimum filter (see Applying a Synchronization Filter).
PtpPDVFilterOffsetAccuracy Specifies the worst-case accuracy in nanoseconds that a PDV filter must meet (see Applying a Synchronization Filter).
PtpPDVFilterPeriod Specifies the PDV filter time period in seconds in which the clock runs linearly without adjusting the clock drift or the absolute time (see Applying a Synchronization Filter).
PtpUtcOffsetFromReference Specifies the UTC offset from the reference in seconds (see Specifying PTP UTC Offset from Reference).
PTPDelayAsymmetry Specifies the PTP delay asymmetry compensation in nanoseconds (see Specifying Compensation for a PTP Delay Asymmetry).
PtpUnicastMasterTblQueryInt Specifies how often to query for unicast sessions with each of the masters listed in the unicast master table (see Configuring PTP Unicast Mode).
PtpUnicastTransmitDuration Specifies the grant period to initially request for in a unicast request TLV (type/length value) message (see Configuring PTP Unicast Mode).
PtpUnicastMasterAddr<1, 2, 3, ..., 10> Each parameter specifies an IPv4 address. These addresses constitute the unicast master table (see Configuring PTP Unicast Mode).
PtpTelecomDomain1<1, 2, 3, ..., 10> Each parameter specifies a PTP domain (see Configuring PTP Unicast Mode).
PtpPortPCapTraceFile Allows the user to specify a path for a .pcap trace file that the driver then enables and generates from all of the data transmitted from and received by the PTP Ethernet port (see Specifying a PCAP Trace File for the PTP Port).
PtpStatusLogFile Allows the user to specify a path for a status log file that the driver then generates with status dumps obtained from the PTP stack every second (see Specifying a Status Log File).
PtpPpsSampling Determines if the SmartNIC is working in PTP slave mode, synchronizing to a PTP grandmaster and sending PPS signals to the free-running SmartNIC clock to sample the time each second (see Configuring PTP PPS Sampling Mode).