A Concise Tutorial on Traffic Shaping and Scheduling in Time-Sensitive Networks

Over the last two decades, IEEE has been defining standards for Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). These standards combine traffic shaping and scheduling mechanisms to guarantee bounded delays across an Ethernet network. Time-Sensitive Networks are designed for applications where delays are critical, such as process control, networks for vehicles and aircraft, and virtual reality applications. Many industrial companies are currently actively implementing TSN standards. The goal of this paper is to provide a concise and self-contained description of the TSN mechanisms and how they affect the network performance metrics. The paper is intended for practicing engineers wanting to improve their understanding of TSN and for students curious about these mechanisms.