docs: sync: Update page on synchronization

- Clarify features that only work on B100 and N2x0 (_external_)
- De-emphasize MIMO-cable sync
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Martin Braun 2021-09-14 11:18:13 +02:00 committed by Aaron Rossetto
parent 04532aaa3c
commit 1be44df0fc

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@ -16,44 +16,49 @@ products.
USRP devices take two reference signals in order to synchronize clocks
and time:
- A 10 MHz reference to provide a single frequency reference for both
- A 10 MHz reference to provide a single frequency reference for all
devices.
- A pulse-per-second (PPS) to synchronize the sample time across
devices.
- A MIMO cable transmits an encoded time message from one device to
another.
\subsection sync_commonref_pps PPS and 10 MHz reference signals
The way these reference signals are provided to the devices varies.
Connect the front panel SMA connectors to the reference sources.
Typically, these signals are provided by an external GPSDO. However,
some USRP models can provide these signals from an optional internal
GPSDO.
\subsection sync_commonref_pps External PPS and 10 MHz reference signals
Most USRPs have SMA connnectors on the front- or back-panel to provide these
signals (10 MHz reference and PPS). These signals could be provided by an
\ref page_octoclock, an external/third-party GPSDO, a measurement device's
reference outputs, or some other clock-generating device.
Connect these SMA connectors to the reference sources. In your software, select
the external reference inputs as clock and time sources:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{.cpp}
usrp->set_clock_source("external");
usrp->set_time_source("external");
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<b>Note:</b> Sometimes the delay on the PPS signal will cause it to arrive
inside the timing margin the FPGA sampling clock, causing PPS edges to
be separated by less or more than 100 million cycles of the FPGA clock.
<b>Note:</b> For users generating their own signals for the external SMA
connectors, the PPS should be clocked from the 10 MHz reference. See the
application notes for your device for specific signal requirements (e.g.,
voltage).
<b>Note (N200/N210 and B100 only):</b> Sometimes the delay on the PPS signal will
cause it to arrive inside the timing margin of the FPGA sampling clock, causing
PPS edges to be separated by less or more than 100 million cycles of the FPGA
clock.
If this is the case, you can change the edge reference of the PPS signal
with this parameter:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{.cpp}
usrp->set_time_source("_external_");
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<b>Note2:</b> For users generating their own signals for the external SMA
connectors, the PPS should be clocked from the 10 MHz reference. See the
application notes for your device for specific signal requirements.
\subsection sync_commonref_mimo MIMO cable reference signals
\subsection sync_commonref_mimo MIMO cable reference signals (N200-Series, USRP2)
Use the MIMO expansion cable to share reference sources (USRP2 and
N-Series). The MIMO cable can be used synchronize one device to another
device. Users of the MIMO cable may use Method 1 (explained below) to
N200-Series only). The MIMO cable can be used to synchronize one device to
another device. Users of the MIMO cable may use Method 1 (explained below) to
synchronize multiple pairs of devices.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{.cpp}