Network interface device synchronization

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with a network interface device, an equalization delay and a byte range that define when the network interface device should transmit information to an optical line terminal (OLT);

determining, with the network interface device, a start time based on the byte range;

determining, with the network interface device, a response time of the network interface device;

monitoring, with the network interface device, one or more instances when the network interface device transmits the information to the OLT within a current frame, wherein the network interface device transmits the current frame having the information; and

determining, with the network interface device, a time when a next frame should be received by the network interface device based on the monitored one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT, the equalization delay, the start time, the response time, and a temporal length of each frame, wherein the OLT transmits the next frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT comprises at least one of monitoring a burst-enable signal, monitoring an electrical current through a laser coupled to the network interface device, and monitoring an electrical current through a photo-diode coupled to the network interface device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving time of day (TOD) information associated with a subsequent frame;

modifying the TOD information to account for delays in the network interface device for receiving the TOD information;

determining a time when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device based on the determined time when the next frame should be received; and

loading the modified TOD information, within a TOD clock on the network interface device, based on the time when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device to synchronize the TOD clock on the network interface device with a TOD clock on the OLT.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the next frame comprises the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an identifier for the next frame;

receiving time of day (TOD) information associated with a subsequent frame and an identifier for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information;

modifying the TOD information to account for delays in the network interface device for receiving the TOD information;

determining when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device based at least on the identifier for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information, the identifier for the next frame, and the determined time when the next frame should be received by the network interface device; and

loading the modified TOD information, within a TOD clock on the network interface device, for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information based on the determination of when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device to synchronize the TOD clock on the network interface device with a TOD clock on the OLT.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving an identifier for the current frame;

wherein determining an identifier for the next frame comprises determining the identifier for the next frame based at least on the identifier for the current frame, the equalization delay of the network interface device, the response time of the network interface device, and the temporal length of each frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the equalization delay and the byte range comprises receiving the equalization delay and the byte range in at least one of a physical layer operations and maintenance (PLOAM) message and an optical network unit (ONU) management control interface (OMCI) message.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network interface device and the OLT are part of a passive optical network or an active optical network.

9. An optical network comprising:

a network interface device that includes a processor to transmit information to an optical line terminal (OLT), wherein the processor is configured to:

receive an equalization delay and a byte range that define when the network interface device should transmit information to the OLT;

determine a response time of the network interface device; and

a synchronization module configured to:

determine a start time based on the byte range;

monitor one or more instances when the network interface device transmits the information to the OLT within a current frame, wherein the network interface device transmits the current frame having the information; and

determine a time when a next frame should be received by the network interface device based on the monitored one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT, the equalization delay, the start time, the response time, and a temporal length of each frame, wherein the OLT transmits the next frame.

10. The optical network of claim 9 , wherein the synchronization module monitors at least one of a burst-enable signal from the processor, an electrical current through a laser coupled to the network interface device, and an electrical current through a photo-diode coupled to the network interface device to monitor the one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT.

11. The optical network of claim 10 ,

wherein the processor is configured to receive time of day (TOD) information associated with a subsequent frame,

wherein at least one of the processor and synchronization module modifies the TOD information to account for delays in the network interface device for receiving the TOD information and determine a time when the subsequent frame associate with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device based on the determined time when the next frame should be received, and

wherein the synchronization module loads the modified TOD information, within a TOD clock on the network interface device, based on the determined time when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device to synchronize the TOD clock on the network interface device with a TOD clock on the OLT.

12. The optical network of claim 11 , wherein the next frame comprises the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information.

13. The optical network of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the processor and synchronization module includes the TOD clock.

14. The optical network of claim 9 ,

wherein the synchronization module is further configured to determine an identifier for the next frame,

wherein the network interface device receives time of day (TOD) information associated with a subsequent frame and an identifier for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information,

wherein at least one of the processor and synchronization module modify the TOD information to account for delays in the network interface device for receiving the TOD information,

wherein the synchronization module is further configured to determine when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device based at least on the identifier for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information, the identifier for the next frame, and the determined time when the next frame should be received by the network interface device, and

wherein the synchronization module loads the modified TOD information, within a TOD clock on the network interface device, for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information based on the determination of when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device to synchronize the TOD clock on the network interface device with a TOD clock on the OLT.

15. The optical network of claim 14 ,

wherein the synchronization module receives an identifier for the current frame,

wherein the synchronization module determines the identifier for the next frame based at least on the identifier for the current frame, the equalization delay of the network interface device, the response time of the network interface device, and the temporal length of each frame.

16. The optical network of claim 9 , wherein the processor receives the equalization delay and the byte range in at least one of a physical layer operations and maintenance (PLOAM) message and an optical network unit (ONU) management control interface (OMCI) message.

17. The optical network of claim 9 , further comprising the OLT.

18. The optical network of claim 9 , wherein the network interface device includes the synchronization module, and wherein the synchronization module is external to the processor.

19. The optical network of claim 9 , wherein the optical network comprises one of a passive optical network and an active optical network.

20. An optical network comprising:

means for receiving an equalization delay and a byte range that define when a network interface device should transmit information to an optical line terminal (OLT);

means for determining a start time based on the byte range;

means for determining a response time of the network interface device;

means for monitoring one or more instances when the network interface device transmits the information to the OLT within a current frame, wherein the network interface device transmits the current frame having the information; and

means for determining a time when a next frame should be received by the network interface device based on the monitored one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT, the equalization delay, the start time, the response time, and a temporal length of each frame, wherein the OLT transmits the next frame.

21. The optical network of claim 20 , wherein the means for monitoring one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT comprise at least one of means for monitoring a burst-enable signal, monitoring an electrical current through a laser coupled to the network interface device, and monitoring an electrical current through a photo-diode coupled to the network interface device.

22. The optical network of claim 21 , further comprising:

means for receiving time of day (TOD) information associated with a subsequent frame;

means for modifying the TOD information to account for delays in the network interface device for receiving the TOD information;

means for determining when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device based on the determined time when the next frame should be received; and

means for loading the modified TOD information, within a TOD clock on the network interface device, based on the time when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device to synchronize the TOD clock on the network interface device with a TOD clock on the OLT.

23. The optical network of claim 20 , further comprising:

means for determining an identifier for the next frame;

means for receiving time of day (TOD) information associated with a subsequent frame and an identifier for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information;

means for modifying the TOD information to account for delays in the network interface device for receiving the TOD information;

means for determining when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device based at least on the identifier for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information, the identifier for the next frame, and the determined time when the next frame should be received by the network interface device; and

means for loading the modified TOD information, within a TOD clock of the network interface device, for the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information based on the determination of when the subsequent frame associated with the TOD information should be received by the network interface device to synchronize the TOD clock on the network interface device with a TOD clock on the OLT.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to:

receive an equalization delay and a byte range that define when a network interface device should transmit information to an optical line terminal (OLT);

determine a start time based on the byte range;

determine a response time of the network interface device;

monitor one or more instances when the network interface device transmits the information to the OLT within a current frame, wherein the network interface device transmits the current frame having the information; and

determine a time when a next frame should be received by the network interface device based on the monitored one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT, the equalization delay, the start time, the response time, and a temporal length of each frame, wherein the OLT transmits the next frame.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 , wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to monitor one or more instances when the network interface device transmits information to the OLT comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to at least one of monitor a burst-enable signal, monitor an electrical current through a laser coupled to the network interface device, and monitor an electrical current through a photo-diode coupled to the network interface device.