Method and device for determining a quality of a clock signal

Abstract

Method, device and system for detecting a disturbance, e.g., at least one short mechanical impact (shock or vibration) on a clock of a slave device by detecting a non-typical variation of a tracking error, i.e., a tracking error having a deviation that exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein such a non-typical variation can be determined by the deviation from a statistical measure, e.g., a variance or a standard deviation, such that the determination of the quality of a clock signal is advantageously allowed and thus suitable counter-measures are provided. The method, device and system are applicable for all kinds of technical systems comprising slave devices that have a clock, e.g., devices in industrial and automation systems. The method, device and system are also applicable in communication systems that use a protocol to synchronize the clocks of its devices, e.g., Profinet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.