Real-Time Computing

Intel real-time technology supports new solutions that require a high degree of coordination, both within and across networked devices. Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC)-enabled processors deliver optimal compute and time performance for real-time applications 1. Using integrated or discrete Ethernet controllers featuring IEEE 802.1 Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), these processors can power complex real-time systems.

Enable Real-Time Use Cases

Intel IoT real-time computing performance and solutions are focused on hard real-time use cases where missing a deadline is a system failure. Hard real-time is necessary in areas such as robotics, automotive, and utilities where a capability fails if it cannot be executed within the allotted time span (deadline).

Real-time offerings from Intel support new solutions that deliver both high-compute & real-time performance by:

  • Prioritizing real-time workloads access to cache, memory, and networking
  • Minimizing disruption from other workloads
  • Optimizing performance for both real-time and non-real-time workloads
  • Ensuring availability in both native and virtualized environments

Key Use Cases

Aviation

Factory Automation

Healthcare

Nuclear

Oil & Gas

Robotics

Transportation

Utilities & Water

Real-Time Performance

Intel® TCC and TSN

 

Intel® TCC Time Synchronization
Provides a hardware mechanism to coordinate the various clocks found in individual IP blocks.

Intel® TCC Timeliness
Provides a hardware mechanism to specify latency of data packets from one functional block to another.

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)

Provides bounded maximum latency for scheduled traffic through switched Ethernet networks. TSN is a set of IEEE 802 standards that are defined by the IEEE TSN task group. These standards enable ultra-reliable and low latency communication over Ethernet to support time sensitive applications. TSN achieves this by using time synchronization, traffic scheduling, and network configuration.

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)

Time sensitive networking (TSN) refers to a collection of IEEE standards, specifications and capabilities based on standard Ethernet networks to support time-sensitive applications and supports precision time synchronization, timeliness for data delivery, and traffic scheduling.

 

Why TSN?

  • Secure and reliable delivery of data

  • Guaranteed latency for data delivery

  • Converged networks save operating costs

  • Simplifies system configuration and operation

  • Open ecosystem

 

Platform Features

  • 1-3 integrated Ethernet TSN controllers
  • Enable ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) machine-to-machine communication up to 2.5Gbps/port speeds
  • Supports coexistence of hard real-time operational technology (OT) and soft real-time information technology traffic in a single network, reducing infrastructure cost
  • Simplify board design with integrated Ethernet controllers; less power consumption, smaller form factor, bill of material cost saving
  • Streamline software development with open standard reference software

 

Supported Ethernet TSN standards

  • IEEE 802.1AS       Generalized Precision Time Protocol
  • IEEE 802.1Qbv    Time-aware Shaper
  • IEEE 802.1Qav    Credit-based Shaper
  • IEEE 802.1Qbu   Frame Preemption

 

Learn more:

Article: Changing the Way Real-Time Industrial Systems Are Designed

Article: Adopting Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for Automation Systems

White Paper: The Business Impact of TSN for Industrial Systems

White Paper: Time-Sensitive Networking (From Theory to Implementation in Industrial Automation)

 

Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC)

Key Elements

  • Time Synchronization provides hardware capabilities to achieve precise time synchronization and eliminate the need for software-based synchronization and associated adverse effects caused by the OS. Coordinate various clocks found in individual IP blocks, such as CPU, PCIe, network, audio, and more.

  • Timeliness provides hardware capabilities that minimize the latency of data packets from one IP block to another. Allocate critical resources, such as cache, for real-time applications. Prioritize I/O, such as PCIe traffic.

Benefits of Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC) and Intel® TCC Tools:

  • Enable reliable worst-case execution time (WCET) I/O within compute node.

  • Speed time to market and reduce total cost of ownership with simple tuning.

  • Easily scale from Intel Atom® x6000E Series processors (code named Elkhart Lake) and 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors (code named Tiger Lake UP3) to next gen with Intel® TCC.

  • Maximize efficiency by aggregating time-critical and non-time-constrained applications onto a single board.

Intel® TCC Software Enabling

There is no “one size fits all” solution. After choosing the right Enhanced for IoT Intel processor, the steps below are a recommended sequence in which customers should apply various “tuning” capabilities that Intel offers as part of our real-time offering:

  • Leverage our Board Support Package (BSP) with real-time optimizations
  • Enable Intel® TCC Mode in BIOS
  • Utilize Intel® TCC Tools (coming soon) for the most granular real-time tuning or to balance between real-time performance, power consumption, and general compute performance

Intel® Real-Time Products

Silicon

Intel Atom® Processors

The following SKUs are optimized for real-time featuring Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC) and 3 integrated TSN-ready Ethernet ports:

  • Intel Atom® x6427FE Processor
  • Intel Atom® x6425RE Processor
  • Intel Atom® x6414RE Processor
  • Intel Atom® x6212RE Processor
  • Intel Atom® x6200FE Processor

Intel® Core™ Processors

The following SKUs are optimized for real-time featuring Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC) and 1 integrated TSN-ready Ethernet port:

  • Intel® Core™ i7-1185GRE Processor
  • Intel® Core™ i5-1145GRE Processor
  • Intel® Core™ i3-1115GRE Processor

Discrete Ethernet Products

The following Ethernet products have TSN functionality:

  • Intel® I225-LM (Embedded use conditions, 2.5G TSN capable discrete ethernet)
  • Intel® I225-IT (Extended temp, 2.5G TSN capable discrete ethernet)

Software and Developers Tools

Intel® Edge Controls

Intel® Edge Controls for Industrial is a software Reference Platform running on compatible hardware that integrates real-time compute, standards-based connectivity, safety, virtualization, and IT-like management. It accelerates the transformation of Industrial Control Systems to software defined solutions.

Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC) Tools

Intel is introducing a new product, called Intel® Time Coordinated Computing Tools (Intel® TCC Tools), which contains APIs, utilities, sample applications, documentation, and more to help customers and developers unlock the potential of Intel processor's real-time capabilities. It is characterized by 3 main areas: 

  • Real-time configuration and optimization focus on workload-aware processor tuning and optimizations helping bound data access timings for applications.
  • Time Sync and communications contain samples that developers can use as starting points for the applications requiring precise time synchronization.
  • Measurement and Analysis contents help developers in their debugging, troubleshooting, measurements, and analysis needs.

Learn more

Intel® Real-Time Ecosystem Highlights

Documentation


Get design documents, drivers, datasheets, release notes & more for IoT real-time solutions.

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IoT Technologies

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Product and Performance Information

1

Intel® technologies' features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No product or component can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at https://www.intel.in