Model-based Automation of TSN Configuration for Industrial Distributed Systems

The paradigm shift to more unified network topologies for industrial distributed systems is fueled by the uptake of the Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) standard, which enables the separation of time critical traffic following the Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheme. However, the configuration of such systems is currently cumbersome and potentially error prone. To provide support at design time when modelling distributed real-time applications that communicate using TSN, this work proposes a general concept for automated configuration and deployment. Our proof-of-concept implementation is based on the IEC 61499 modelling standard for industrial automation systems and is validated in ten representative scenarios, including heterogeneous setups using several hardware platforms. We show that our method upholds the expected synchronisation and timing behaviour for TSN, and provides a significant reduction in configuration steps while functioning correctly in various setups without adjustment.