Systems and methods utilizing randomized clock rates to reduce systematic time-stamp granularity errors in network packet communications

A system for network communications, comprising:

• a sending device, comprising:
• a time-stamp generator configured to use a sender time-stamp clock signal having a sender time-stamp clock rate to generate sender time-stamps, the sender time-stamps being associated with transmitted network packets;
• a time-stamp clock generator configured to generate the sender time-stamp clock signal having the sender time-stamp clock rate;
• and
• a packet transmission interface configured to transmit network packets;
• a receiving device, comprising:
• a packet reception interface configured to receive network packets from the sending device;
• a time-stamp generator configured to generate receive time-stamps associated with received network packets using a receive time-stamp clock signal having a receive time-stamp clock rate;
• and
• a time-stamp clock generator configured to generate the receive time-stamp clock signal having the receive time-stamp clock rate, the receive time-stamp clock rate being configured to intentionally different from the sender time-stamp clock rate such that the receive time-stamp clock rate is not syntonized with the sender time-stamp clock rate, and the receive time-stamp clock signal not being synchronized with the sender time-stamp clock signal and differing in phase from the sender time-stamp clock signal from clock-cycle to clock-cycle, such that systematic time-stamp granularity errors are not introduced;
• wherein the receive time-stamp clock rate and the sender time-stamp clock rate comprise a slave time-stamp clock rate and a master time-stamp clock rate;
• and
• wherein the ratio (fS1fM) of the slave time-stamp clock rate (fS) to the master time-stamp clock rate (fM) has a fixed non-integer relationship and are related by a ratio R/T where R and T are integers and T is greater than 1000 after common factors are removed.

A method for network communications, comprising:

• receiving at a receiving device network packets from a sending device, the network packets including sender time-stamps generated at the sending device using a sender time-stamp clock signal having a sender time-stamp clock rate;
• generating a receive time-stamp clock signal having a receive time-stamp clock rate intentionally different from the sender time-stamp clock rate such that the receive time-stamp clock rate is not syntonized with the sender time-stamp clock rate, and the receive time-stamp clock signal not being synchronized with the sender time-stamp clock signal and differing in phase from the sender time-stamp clock signal from clock-cycle to clock-cycle, such that systematic time-stamp granularity errors are not introduced;
• generating receive time-stamps associated with received network packets using the receive time-stamp clock signal;
• and
• utilizing the sender time-stamps and the receive time-stamps for time alignment within the receiving device;
• wherein the receive time-stamp clock rate and the sender time-stamp clock rate comprise a slave time-stamp clock rate and a master time-stamp clock rate;
• and
• wherein the ratio (fS1fM) of the slave time-stamp clock rate (fS) to the master time-stamp clock rate (fM) has a fixed non-integer relationship and are related by a ratio R/T where R and T are integers and T is greater than 1000 after common factors are removed.