A Simulation Model for Time-sensitive Networking (TSN) with Experimental Validation

Industrial communication requires highly reliable networks with hard temporal constraints. Thus, the IEEE 802.1 Task Group proposed a promising technology, namely, time-sensitive networking (TSN), to complement the determinism and real-time (RT) capabilities of Ethernet via a set of enhanced IEEE standards. To explore the feasibility and applicability of TSN, we developed a simulation model for TSN using a module-based design method. Our TSN-compliant modules implement time-based traffic scheduling functionality to guarantee the deterministic and RT transmission of time-triggered traffic. We validated the developed modules by comparing the end-to-end simulation latencies to those measured in a real-world TSN testbed. The results of this evaluation validate the proposed simulation model and show that it conforms tightly to the TSN specifications and faithfully matches the real-world testbed.