Advantech Robotic Suite/Time Sync Viewer - Revision history

Ray.zheng at 05:18, 14 August 2025

2025-08-14T05:18:17Z

Ray.zheng at 05:14, 14 August 2025

2025-08-14T05:14:20Z

Ray.zheng at 05:11, 14 August 2025

2025-08-14T05:11:21Z

Ray.zheng at 05:35, 25 July 2025

2025-07-25T05:35:07Z

Ray.zheng at 03:35, 25 July 2025

2025-07-25T03:35:42Z

Steven.yueh at 08:44, 15 July 2025

2025-07-15T08:44:56Z

Steven.yueh at 08:19, 15 July 2025

2025-07-15T08:19:32Z

Steven.yueh: ..

2025-07-15T08:17:22Z

Steven.yueh: .

2025-07-15T08:15:42Z

Steven.yueh: add the web broswer address

2025-07-15T08:08:56Z

add the web broswer address

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 = Introduction =
-'''Time Sync Viewer''' is a time synchronization detection tool specifically designed for ROS2, provided as an rqt plugin. It is used to monitor and analyze the synchronization status of multi-sensor data in real time. In robotics applications, ensuring accurate time synchronization is crucial, as it directly affects the performance and stability of technologies such as SLAM, deep learning, and sensor fusion. Time Sync Viewer provides synchronization detection, visual analysis, and detailed time statistics, helping developers quickly identify and resolve synchronization issues.
+Time Sync Viewer is a time synchronization detection tool specifically designed for ROS2, provided as an rqt plugin. It is used to monitor and analyze the synchronization status of multi-sensor data in real time. In robotics applications, ensuring accurate time synchronization is crucial, as it directly affects the performance and stability of technologies such as SLAM, deep learning, and sensor fusion. Time Sync Viewer provides synchronization detection, visual analysis, and detailed time statistics, helping developers quickly identify and resolve synchronization issues.
-===Time Synchronization Scope:===
+'''Time Synchronization Scope'''
 * Maintaining a Unified Clock Across Sensors and Compute Units
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 # Precision Time Protocol (PTP): Offers higher accuracy than NTP, making it suitable for industrial and embedded systems.<br>
 # Utilizing Jetson’s NvPPS Module: The NvPPS module within the Jetson kernel can be leveraged for precise time synchronization. It accepts an external 1PPS (Pulse Per Second) signal—typically from a GPS device connected via a GPIO pin—and uses it to timestamp events. This enables synchronization with other time domains such as the Time Stamp Counter (TSC) or PTP.
-−
 * Timestamping Sensor Data Upon Arrival
 :It’s important to ensure that every piece of sensor data is assigned a fresh timestamp when it reaches the computing unit. While some systems use an external MCU or FPGA for this purpose, relying solely on such a solution can be risky. It may overlook various latencies introduced during data transmission from the sensor to the compute unit.
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 :Sensor data from different sources should be received by the computing system at consistent and acceptable intervals—for example, every 100 milliseconds. Advantech's Time Sync Viewer in Robotic Suite helps visualize the frequency and distribution of incoming data. If all sensor data is received within the expected 100 ms window, a flag is raised. By monitoring the spacing between these flags, developers can detect anomalies and determine whether adjustments are needed.
-===Features and Advantages:===
+'''Features and Advantages'''
 *Multi-Sensor Timestamps Visualization: Visually displays the timestamps of multiple sensors to help users check data alignment.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 = Introduction =
-'''Time Sync Viewer''' is a time synchronization detection tool specifically designed for ROS2, provided as an rqt plugin. It is used to monitor and analyze the synchronization status of multi-sensor data in real time. In robotics applications, ensuring accurate time synchronization is crucial, as it directly affects the performance and stability of technologies such as SLAM, deep learning, and sensor fusion.
+'''Time Sync Viewer''' is a time synchronization detection tool specifically designed for ROS2, provided as an rqt plugin. It is used to monitor and analyze the synchronization status of multi-sensor data in real time. In robotics applications, ensuring accurate time synchronization is crucial, as it directly affects the performance and stability of technologies such as SLAM, deep learning, and sensor fusion. Time Sync Viewer provides synchronization detection, visual analysis, and detailed time statistics, helping developers quickly identify and resolve synchronization issues.
 ===Time Synchronization Scope:===
@@ Line 97: / Line 94: @@
 . Recommended to reopen the UI after using it for more than 5 hours to avoid lag.<br/> 2. To verify a custom or specialized topic, you must first add a source command for the corresponding environment to the <code>.bashrc</code> file. This is a mechanism in ROS2 to ensure that the system loads the correct development environment and package paths, allowing the topic to function properly.<br/> 3. If the Time Sync Viewer UI fails to display, first check whether the current environment's <code>DISPLAY</code> parameter is set to <code>:0</code>, if not, update the <code>DISPLAY</code> variable in <code>/usr/local/Advantech/E2I/robotic-node-client/run.sh</code>, save the file, and then rerun the app.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 = Introduction =
-&nbsp;
+'''Time Sync Viewer''' is a time synchronization detection tool specifically designed for ROS2, provided as an rqt plugin. It is used to monitor and analyze the synchronization status of multi-sensor data in real time. In robotics applications, ensuring accurate time synchronization is crucial, as it directly affects the performance and stability of technologies such as SLAM, deep learning, and sensor fusion.
 <nowiki>Time Sync Viewer</nowiki>
-is a time synchronization detection tool specifically designed for ROS2, provided as an rqt plugin. It is used to monitor and analyze the synchronization status of multi-sensor data in real time. In robotics applications, ensuring accurate time synchronization is crucial, as it directly affects the performance and stability of technologies such as SLAM, deep learning, and sensor fusion.
+provides synchronization detection, visual analysis, and detailed time statistics, helping developers quickly identify and resolve synchronization issues.
-<nowiki>Time Sync Viewer</nowiki>
-provides synchronization detection, visual analysis, and detailed time statistics, helping developers quickly identify and resolve synchronization issues.
+* Maintaining a Unified Clock Across Sensors and Compute Units
-'''Features and Advantages''':
+===Features and Advantages:===
 *Multi-Sensor Timestamps Visualization: Visually displays the timestamps of multiple sensors to help users check data alignment.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 #**z_sync_flag (sync flag)
 #Synchronization Range
-#*In this example, the sync_range is set to 2 milliseconds, all data points that arrive within this 2-millisecond window are considered synchronized. At the time of triggering, the timestamp of the flag will align with the last received data point, and this set of data will not be used for the next synchronization detection.
+#*In this example, the <code>sync_range</code> is set to 2 milliseconds. All data points that arrive within this 2-millisecond window are considered synchronized.
-#*On the time axis, when a synchronization event is triggered, a sync_flag is marked.
+#*On the time axis, when a synchronization event is triggered, a <code>sync_flag</code> is marked. At the moment of triggering, the timestamp of the flag aligns with that of the last received data point. This set of data will not be used for the next synchronization detection.
 #Synchronization Analysis
 #*When all sensor data points fall within the 2-ms range, they are considered synchronized (sync).

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 #**z_sync_flag (sync flag)
 #Synchronization Range
-#*In this example, the sync_range&nbsp;is configured with 2ms, meaning that data points arriving within this 2-millisecond window are considered synchronized.
+#*In this example, the sync_range is set to 2 milliseconds, all data points that arrive within this 2-millisecond window are considered synchronized. At the time of triggering, the timestamp of the flag will align with the last received data point, and this set of data will not be used for the next synchronization detection.
 #*On the time axis, when a synchronization event is triggered, a sync_flag is marked.
 #Synchronization Analysis

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 </pre>
-*Step 2: Enter 127.0.0.1:8081 in a web browser. run Time Sync Viewer in Web UI, select "Utility" from the list on the left
+*Step 2: Enter 127.0.0.1:8081 in a web browser. The account is&nbsp;root, the password is P@ssw0rd.&nbsp;Run Time Sync Viewer in Web UI, select "Utility" from the list on the left
 [[File:Robotic-suite-quickstart-tutorials2 01.png|none|1000px|Robotic-suite-quickstart-tutorials2_01.png]]

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 #**z_sync_flag (sync flag)
 #Synchronization Range
-#*In this example, the<span style="background-color:#bdc3c7;">&nbsp;</span> <nowiki><span style="background-color:#bdc3c7;">sync_range</span></nowiki>
+#*In this example, the sync_range&nbsp;is configured with 2ms, meaning that data points arriving within this 2-millisecond window are considered synchronize.
+#*On the time axis, when a synchronization event is triggered, a&nbsp; <nowiki>sync_flag</nowiki>
+&nbsp;is marked.
 #Synchronization Analysis
 #*When all sensor data points fall within the 2ms range, they are considered synchronized (sync).
@@ Line 68: / Line 60: @@
 </pre>
-*Step 2: Enter 172.0.0.1:8081 in the web browser, run Time Sync Viewer in Web UI, select "Utility" from the list on the left
+*Step 2: Enter 127.0.0.1:8081 in a web browser. run Time Sync Viewer in Web UI, select "Utility" from the list on the left
 [[File:Robotic-suite-quickstart-tutorials2 01.png|none|1000px|Robotic-suite-quickstart-tutorials2_01.png]]
@@ Line 115: / Line 107: @@
 Monitoring results will be shown in the terminal
 [[File:ROS2_time_sync_check_node_setting_2.png|none|ROS2_time_sync_check_node_setting_2]]
--->
+--> <!--
 == Config ==
 Set <code><span _fck_mw_customtag="true" _fck_mw_tagname="nowiki" _fck_mw_tagtype="t" class="fck_mw_nowiki">sync_range</span></code> in config.yaml, the unit is seconds