Distributed synchronization in wireless networks

Synchronization refers to the process of achieving and maintaining coordination among independent local clocks via the exchange of local time information. Different synchronization schemes differ in the way such information is encoded, exchanged, and processed by the clocks toward the end of overcoming the unavoidable nuisance effects of inaccurate clocks and propagation/processing delays. Wireless communications provide the natural platform for the exchange of local time information between synchronizing clocks. Conversely, synchronization of local clocks enables a wealth of signal processing and communication applications in wireless networks. It is this mutual link between synchronization and wireless networks, with emphasis on decentralized structures such as ad hoc and sensor networks, that constitutes the main subject of this article.     

A survey on high-precision time synchronization techniques for optical datacenter networks and a zero-overhead microsecond-accuracy solution

A datacenter, which is a highly distributed multiprocessing system, needs to keep accurate track of time across a large number of machines. Precise time synchronization has become a critical component due to stringent requirements of several time critical applications such as real-time big data analytics, high-performance computing, and financial trading. Our study starts with a survey on the most relevant time synchronization techniques for datacenter networks. Then, we propose a zero-overhead microsecond-accuracy solution to synchronize a packet-switched optical network for datacenters. To achieve the desired time accuracy, we consider precision time protocol to synchronize the server clocks with a central controller clock. Zero-overhead is maintained by using data traffic to carry the time messages instead of a separate control channel. Through simulation, we show that microsecond level of time accuracy can be achieved. We also discuss the dependency of the accuracy on different traffic loads, traffic distributions, and packet lengths.     

精确的时间同步技术

在多基地雷达系统中,同步问题包括时间同步和频率同步,如何使得异地之间的时钟同步是我们必须研究的问题。所谓时间同步,是使2个时钟对准,或者是确切知道2个时钟的钟差,在后续处理中补偿这个钟差。时间同步有很多方法,其中时间双向比对法,由于对站点的精确性依赖性小,受外界环境影响小,通过短时间比对和处理就可以获得较高的时间同步精度,因此它已被ITU组织作为全球时间传递和比对的标准。     

PTP技术分析

时间同步技术广泛应用于工业自动化、仪表测量以及通信等领域,传统的同步技术的同步精度比较低,已经无法满足高精度同步的需求,IEEE1588标准精确时间同步协议(PTP)的提出,解决了应用领域中需要高精度时间同步的问题,它可以通过分组网络实现,大大降低系统成本。对PTP中的系统模型、同步机制进行了分析,给出了PTP实现时注意的问题。     

Robust Synchronization of Absolute and Difference Clocks Over Networks

We present a detailed re-examination of the problem of inexpensive yet accurate clock synchronization for networked devices. Based on an empirically validated, parsimonious abstraction of the CPU oscillator as a timing source, accessible via the TSC register in popular PC architectures, we build on the key observation that the measurement of time differences, and absolute time, requires separate clocks, both at a conceptual level and practically, with distinct algorithmic, robustness, and accuracy characteristics. Combined with round-trip time based filtering of network delays between the host and the remote time server, we define robust algorithms for the synchronization of the absolute and difference TSCclocks over a network. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the principles, and algorithms using months of real data collected using multiple servers. We give detailed performance results for a full implementation running live and unsupervised under numerous scenarios, which show very high reliability, and accuracy approaching fundamental limits due to host system noise. Our synchronization algorithms are inherently robust to many factors including packet loss, server outages, route changes, and network congestion.     

A FPGA-based digital synchronous methodology for IEC 61850-9-2 process bus

In this paper, a network synchronization proposal for digital substation process bus in the process layer was designed. It appears differences of timing grouping queuing delay in the forward and backward on the channel due to the switch/routing device, thus introducing queue-induced asymmetry, which is a major contributor to time offset and time delay between master and subordinate clocks. The sampled value of the transmission time error caused by the electronic transformer (ECT) signal processing channel and Ethernet communication channel is analyzed. An FPGA-based (field-programmable gate array, FPGA) digital synchronization approach for merging unit (MU) was proposed, which included oversampling, linear phase-shifting, dynamic interpolation resampling technique. It solved the sampled value message precise synchronization problems on the IEC61850-9-2 process bus. Time offset and delay were reduced more than 70 μs between the master and subordinate clocks based on IEEE 1588v2, and he test results were well in 0.2 S level of IEC 60044 standard. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

Time synchronization via lunar radar

The advent of round-trip radar measurements has permitted the determination of the ranges to the nearby planets with greater precision than was previously possible. When the distances to the planets are known with high precision, the propagation delay for electromagnetic waves reflected by the planets may be calculated and used to synchronize remotely located clocks. Details basic to the operation of a lunar radar indicate a capability for clock synchronization to ±20 µs. One of the design goals for this system was to achieve a simple semiautomatic receiver for remotely located tracking stations. The lunar radar system is in operational use for deep space tracking at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and synchronizes five world-wide tracking stations with a master clock at Goldstone, Calif. Computers are programmed to correct the Goldstone transmissions for transit time delay and Doppler shifts so as to be received on time at the tracking stations; this dictates that only one station can be synchronized at a given time period and that the moon must be simultaneously visible to both the transmitter and receiver for a minimum time of 10 min. Both advantages and limitations of the system are given. Finally, an experiment is described which has detected the effects of lunar topography and libration on radar results; a monthly cyclic effect in time synchronization of about ± 6 µs is shown.     

Wireless Sensor Network for Multi-channel 3D Data Synchronizing Acquisition System and Visual Simulation Research

A multi-channel three-dimension (3D) data synchronizing acquisition system based on wireless sensor network is proposed and used to collect underground three-dimension data in this paper. The channel number and the sampling rate of the data acquisition are the bottleneck of the seismic exploration. The synchronization precision of the multi-channel data affects the oil seismic exploration efficiency directly. The system adopts distributing collecting, conversion, storage and transfer multi-channel seismic data during specific time. The system can synchronizing gather 1024 channel data, and the collective data can form 3D data cube by corresponding process. The data structure of 3D data cube is analyzed and the 3D simulation model of underground oil reservoir is established. The methods of displaying slice for the 3D simulation model are studied using the technology of computer graphic and image processing, and we accomplish the horizontal slices, vertical slices of underground oil reservoir from multi-direction and multi-angle in this paper. Some typical simulation images for an underground oil reservoir are given by programming the corresponding algorithm and graphic display program using C++.     

伪卫星时钟同步方法的研究

提出了一种全新的利用光网络实现伪卫星时钟同步的方法,并设计出了一套基于光网络的高可靠性、高精度的时钟同步系统,实现了不同时钟之间的精密时间同步,同步精度优于1 ns.     

Generating a fault-tolerant global clock using high-speed controlsignals for the MetaNet architecture

Describes a new technique, based on exchanging control signals between neighboring nodes, for constructing a stable and fault-tolerant global clock in a distributed system with an arbitrary topology. It is shown that it is possible to construct a global clock reference with a time step that is much smaller than the propagation delay over the network's links. The synchronization algorithm ensures that the global clock “tick” has a stable periodicity, and therefore, it is possible to tolerate failures of links and clocks that operate faster and/or slower than nominally specified, as well as hard failures. The approach taken is to generate a global clock from the ensemble of the local transmission clocks and not to directly synchronize these high-speed clocks. The steady-state algorithm, which generates the global clock, is executed in hardware by the network interface of each node. At the network interface, it is possible to measure accurately the propagation delay between neighboring nodes with a small error or uncertainty and thereby to achieve global synchronization that is proportional to these error measurements. It is shown that the local clock drift (or rate uncertainty) has only a secondary effect on the maximum global clock rate. The synchronization algorithm can tolerate any physical failure. It will continue to operate correctly on any connected segment of the network, i.e., it can tolerate any number of link and node failures, as long as the network remains connected     

IEEE 1588时间同步误差的研究

网络报文的时间同步方式是未来时间同步方式的趋势。IEEE 1588是关于网络测量和控制系统的高精度时间协议标准,是属于网络报文时间同步方式的一种,其时间同步精度达到次微秒级。本文首先将IEEE 1588与网络报文同步方式中的NTP和SNTP进行了简要比较,然后通过对IEEE 1588时间同步过程的分析,提出了IEEE 1588时间同步系统中可能存在的误差源和影响因素,并最后作出了相应的改进方法。     

基于IEEE1588精确时间同步的无线传感器网

无线传感器网(WSN)正在从要求不高的应用向要求更高的应用演进。分布式实体和事件的协调需要时间同步。虽然,已开发了很多用于WSN的时间同步方法,但某些应用需要高精度时间同步。精确时间同步支持应用的各种扩展。IEEE 1588精确时间协议(PTP)提供在一个网络中,一种具亚微秒精度、标准的设备同步方法。本文研究了在无线传感器网上,使用IEEE 1588的精确时间同步。使用IEEE 1588的精确时间同步提供了WSN中异构系统间的兼容性。     

Precise time synchronization of two Milstar communications satellites without ground intervention

Satellite navigation and communication systems often require precise synchronization among spacecraft clocks. In the traditional method for achieving synchronization, a ground station makes time-offset measurements to the various spacecraft clocks, and then updates the time and frequency of each satellite as needed. Though straightforward in its implementation, disadvantages to the traditional approach include the large workload placed on the ground station, the need for multiple ground stations to view satellites in different geosynchronous positions, and unaccounted-for delays in atmospheric propagation. In early 1996 Milstar became the first satellite system to employ crosslinks for precise satellite time synchronization. At that time, the crystal oscillator clock onboard FLT-1, the first Milstar satellite, had its time and frequency tied (i.e., slaved) to the rubidium (Rb) atomic clock carried onboard FLT-2, the second Milstar satellite. The FLT-2 Rb atomic clock was controlled by the ground, while the slaving of FLT-1 to FLT-2 was accomplished without ground intervention: all timing information required by the slaving algorithm was obtained through the FLT-1 to FLT-2 satellite crosslink. In this paper we will first show the timekeeping capabilities of the two satellite clocks when operating independently, which indicate that both clocks are performing well. Then, we will present ground station measurements of FLT-1 and FLT-2 timekeeping that demonstrate satellite synchronization to better than 150 nsec without ground intervention. As satellites are added to the Milstar constellation, crosslink slaving will minimize ground station timekeeping activities, thereby lowering system operating costs. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于FPGA的高精度时频测量设计与实现

由于数字器件的运行时钟受限,基于数字处理芯片的时频测量的精度很难提高;利用FPGA内部锁相环的特点,设计了采用同频多相的多个时钟同时对输入信号进行测量,对各个时钟的测量值进行平均的高精度时频测量方法;介绍了采用产生多个同频多相时钟的方法,详细说明了采用多个同频多相的时钟同时进行时频测量的具体步骤;实际测量表明,该方法实现较为简单,能够在不提高时钟运行速率的情况下,成倍地提高信号的时频测量精度。     

Time synchronization in sensor networks: a survey

Time synchronization is an important issue in multihop ad hoc wireless networks such as sensor networks. Many applications of sensor networks need local clocks of sensor nodes to be synchronized, requiring various degrees of precision. Some intrinsic properties of sensor networks, such as limited resources of energy, storage, computation, and bandwidth, combined with potentially high density of nodes make traditional synchronization methods unsuitable for these networks. Hence, there has been an increasing research focus on designing synchronization algorithms specifically for sensor networks. This article reviews the time synchronization problem and the need for synchronization in sensor networks, then presents in detail the basic synchronization methods explicitly designed and proposed for sensor networks.     

基于FPGA的高精度时频测量设计与实现

由于数字器件的运行时钟受限,基于数字处理芯片的时频测量的精度很难提高;利用FPGA内部锁相环的特点,设计了采用同频多相的多个时钟同时对输入信号进行测量,对各个时钟的测量值进行平均的高精度时频测量方法;介绍了采用产生多个同频多相时钟的方法,详细说明了采用多个同频多相的时钟同时进行时频测量的具体步骤;实际测量表明,该方法实现较为简单,能够在不提高时钟运行速率的情况下,成倍地提高信号的时频测量精度。     

Interparticipant synchronization in real-time multimediaconferencing using feedback

An algorithm related to synchronization problems arising in a multimedia multiparty conference is presented in this paper. The proposed algorithm determines the set of packets generated periodically from different participants that are arriving at a node, either for mixing at the master of a conference, or for simply playing back at a regular participant of a conference. No global synchronization of the clocks is assumed. In this paper, the statistical approach rather than the deterministic is used to determine the proper set of packets that have to be mixed at a given time. The statistics are derived from the time stamp each packet carries along with it. The essence of the proposed algorithm is to estimate the expected packet arrival time (or reference time) for each participant. With the reference time at hand, the maximum jitter and the optimum waiting time for a mixer to wait packets from all participants can be determined. By employing feedback, the proposed algorithm is shown to lead to an optimum waiting/delay time. The error of the proposed algorithm is enumerated by the Chernoff bound, demonstrated by simulation, and shown to be acceptable in practical application     

The propagation time of a radio pulse

The propagation of the ground-wave pulse between points on the ground is of considerable practical importance, particularly in the application of the Loran-C navigation system to the absolute time synchronization of geographically separated clocks. Thus, the envelope of the pulse is frequently used to remove ambiguities which would otherwise result from the pulse synchronization at the characteristic or carrier frequency of the pulse. The propagation of the ground wave over finitely conducting ground modifies the propagation time of the tagged point-in-time on the envelope by amounts which may be sufficiently large as to cause cycle ambiguitypm piradians at the carrier or characteristic frequency of the pulse. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to investigate the magnitude of this error by ascertaining the true signal velocity as determined by tagging a point-in-time on the leading edge of a groundwave pulse and calculating the time corrections for various ground conductivities and distances. These calculations can then be applied to resolve thepm piradians ambiguity of the precision phase velocity instrumentation for Loran-C especially when the system is used for absolute-time synchronization.     

Network classless time protocol based on clock offset optimization

Time synchronization is critical in distributed environments. A variety of network protocols, middleware and business applications rely on proper time synchronization across the computational infrastructure and depend on the clock accuracy. The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is the current widely accepted standard for synchronizing clocks over the Internet. NTP uses a hierarchical scheme in order to synchronize the clocks in the network. In this paper we present a novel non-hierarchical peer-to-peer approach for time synchronization termed CTP-Classless Time Protocol. This approach exploits convex optimization theory in order to evaluate the impact of each clock offset on the overall objective function. We define the clock offset problem as an optimization problem and derive its optimal solution. Based on the solution we develop a distributed protocol that can be implemented over a communication network, prove its convergence to the optimal clock offsets and show its properties. For compatibility, CTP may use the packet format and number of measurements used by NTP. We also present methodology and numerical results for evaluating and comparing the accuracy of time synchronization schemes. We show that the CTP outperforms hierarchical schemes such as NTP in the sense of clock accuracy with respect to a universal clock.     

Long-term ultra-precision phase synchronization technique for locking the repetition rate of OFCs based on FLOM-PD

Long-term ultra-precision synchronization between optical frequency combs (OFCs) and microwave oscillators is important for various fields, including scientific observation, smart grid, positioning and navigation, etc. Here, a phase-locked loop system based on fiber loop optical-microwave phase detector (FLOM-PD) is proposed to realize the synchronization of the repetition rate of OFCs and rubidium atomic clocks. Firstly, the scheme and locking process of the system are elaborated, then the mathematical model of the system is established, and the feasibility of the scheme is proved by theoretical analysis and experimental verification. After synchronization, the instability of the system reaches 8.69×10-12 at 1 s and 2.94×10-13 at 1 000 s, indicating that the phase synchronization system can achieve ultra-precision and stability of OFCs repetition rate.