Accurate time synchronization of power reference station based on BD3 system

A Beidou 3(BD3)system-based power reference station can provide high-precision time synchronization for power distribution systems by sending synchronization data packets to devices in a multi-hop routing fashion.However,optimizing route selection to reduce both time synchronization error and delay is a challenging problem.In this paper,we establish a software-defined network-enabled power reference station time synchronization framework based on BD3.Then,we formulate the joint problem to minimize cumulative synchronization error and delay through multi-hop route selection optimization.A back propagation(BP)neural network-improved intelligent time synchronization route selection algorithm named BP-RS is proposed to learn the optimal route selection,which uses a BP neural network to dynamically adjust the exploration factor to achieve rapid convergence.Simulation results show the superior performance of BP-RS in synchronization delay,synchronization error,and adaptability with changing routing topologies.

RL and AHP-Based Multi-Timescale Multi-Clock Source Time Synchronization for Distribution Power Internet of Things

Time synchronization(TS)is crucial for ensuring the secure and reliable functioning of the distribution power Internet of Things(IoT).Multi-clock source time synchronization(MTS)has significant advantages of high reliability and accuracy but still faces challenges such as optimization of the multi-clock source selection and the clock source weight calculation at different timescales,and the coupling of synchronization latency jitter and pulse phase difference.In this paper,the multi-timescale MTS model is conducted,and the reinforcement learning(RL)and analytic hierarchy process(AHP)-based multi-timescale MTS algorithm is designed to improve the weighted summation of synchronization latency jitter standard deviation and average pulse phase difference.Specifically,the multi-clock source selection is optimized based on Softmax in the large timescale,and the clock source weight calculation is optimized based on lower confidence bound-assisted AHP in the small timescale.Simulation shows that the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce time synchronization delay standard deviation and average pulse phase difference.

Effects of Serum Concentration, Synchronization Time and Confluence on the Cell-Cycle Synchronization Efficiency of Goat Fibroblasts

This study aims to evaluate the effect of serum concentration, synchronization time, and confluence degree on the synchronisation efficiency of goat fibroblast cycle. The results indicated that there was no difference in the percentage of nucleated fibroblasts in the G0/G1 stage between serum concentrations of 0.3% and 0.4% (83.89% and 82.69%, respectively, P > 0.05) as well as between serum concentrations of 0.2% and 0.5% (76.95% and 75.46%, respectively, P > 0.05). The percentage of nucleated fibroblasts in the G0/G1 stage was highest at the concentration of 0.3% and lowest in the control group (83.89% vs. 62.67%, P 0.05). The beneficial effect of high confluence was confirmed by the large percentage of nucleated fibroblasts at the G0/G1 stage. The 60% confluency was significantly lower than the 80% and 100% confluency (73.44%, 86.63%, and 87.17%, respectively, P < 0.05). The results indicate that the goat fibroblast cycle synchronization is the most effective at the serum concentration of 0.3%, 72 hours of synchronization and 100% confluency.

Real-time Synchronization Method Based on Dual Ring Fieldbus in CNC System

As the popularization of dual ring fieldbus, the optimized dual ring synchronization methods are still in short. The current synchronization methods are generally established in traditional industrial fieldbus, in which transmission is commonly considered in single track, the two-way transmitting cannot take full effect, and would result in unwanted idle load on equipment lines. In stamp-transferring part, the synchronizing algorithm is not properly processed to diminish the latency, so the real-time performance of entire system cannot be ensured. To support the synchronization control of stations in the CNC system, a real-time time synchronization method for dual ring fieldbus in the CNC system is designed in this paper. In this method a synchronizing message transmission scheme based on dual ring architecture and the synchronization algorithm between master and secondary stations are integrated. In the scheme, the clock models of both master and secondary stations are optimized with corresponding modules and the stamp data transmission based on the dual ring fieldbus is devised exclusively, so the transmitting efficiency improves with less idle work. In the algorithm, all the secondary stations can accomplish the consistent state with master station by updating clock discrepancy information in one communication cycle, and it takes the advantage of two-way transmitting and makes the best use of dual ring structure, so the real-time performance of the system can be promoted while retaining the precision of synchronization. To evaluate the performance, the costs of the method and errors during synchronizing are noted and analyzed based on the actual running environment in the industrial fieldbus. The results show that it reduces communication cost and ensures the smoothness of the system with low lag effects under heavy load. The proposed time synchronization method optimizes the architecture of sync message transmission in dual ring fieldbus, and improves the efficiency of time synchronization in the stations of CNC system.

Modeling of cascaded high isolation bidirectional amplification in long-distance fiber-optic time and frequency synchronization system

We propose a physical model of estimating noise and asymmetry brought by high isolation Bi-directional erbiumdoped fiber amplifiers(Bi-EDFAs),no spontaneous lasing even with high gain,in longdistance fiber-optic time and frequency(T/F)synchronization system.It is found that the Rayleigh scattering noise can be suppressed due to the high isolation design,but the amplified spontaneous emission(ASE)noise generated by the high isolation Bi-EDFA and the bidirectional asymmetry of the transmission link caused by the high isolation Bi-EDFA will deteriorate the stability of the system.The calculated results show that under the influence of ASE noise,the frequency instability of a 1200 km system composed of 15 high isolation Bi-EDFAs is 1.773×10^(-13)/1 s.And the instability caused by asymmetry is 2.6064×10^(-16)/30000–35000 s if the total asymmetric length of the bidirectional link length is 30 m.The intensity noises originating from the laser and detector,the transfer delay fluctuations caused by the variation in ambient temperature and the jitter in laser output wavelength are also studied.The experiment composed of three high isolation Bi-EDFAs is done to confirm the theoretical analysis.In summary,the paper shows that the short-term instability of the T/F synchronization system composed of high isolation Bi-EDFAs is limited by the accumulation of ASE noise of amplifiers and the laser frequency drift,while the long-term instability is limited by the periodic variation in ambient temperature and the asymmetry of the amplifiers.The research results are useful for pointing out the direction to improve the stability of the fiber-optic T/F synchronization system.

The correlation between stochastic resonance and the average phase-synchronization time of a bistable system driven by colour-correlated noises

This paper investigates the correlation between stochastic resonance （SR） and the average phase-synchronization time which is between the input signal and the output signal in a bistable system driven by colour-correlated noises. The results show that the output signal-to-noise ratio can reach a maximum with the increase of the average phase- synchronization time, which may be helpful for understanding the principle of SR from the point of synchronization; however, SR and the maximum of the average phase-synchronization time appear at different optimal noise level, moreover, the effects on them of additive and multiplicative noise are different.

Robust pre-specified time synchronization of chaotic systems by employing time-varying switching surfaces in the sliding mode control scheme

In the conventional chaos synchronization methods, the time at which two chaotic systems are synchronized, is usually unknown and depends on initial conditions. In this work based on Lyapunov stability theory a sliding mode controller with time-varying switching surfaces is proposed to achieve chaos synchronization at a pre-specified time for the first time. The proposed controller is able to synchronize chaotic systems precisely at any time when we want. Moreover, by choosing the time-varying switching surfaces in a way that the reaching phase is eliminated, the synchronization becomes robust to uncertainties and exogenous disturbances. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method of stabilizing and synchronizing chaotic systems with complete robustness to uncertainty and disturbances exactly at a pre-specified time.

Research on Time-Synchronization-Based Test and Control System of Aeroengine

This paper presents a method of NTP-based time synchronization and a strategy of master-slave server structured time synchronization to ensure the test and control system of aeroengine to be time-synchronized. Based on time synchronization, the hierarchy and the integration of the measurement and control system of aeroengine are investigated. In result, our method is successfully applied for multiple front-end tests in a simulative altitude test facility of aeroengine.

Time Synchronous Averaging Based on Cross-power Spectrum

Periodic components are of great significance for fault diagnosis and health monitoring of rotating machinery.Time synchronous averaging is an effective and convenient technique for extracting those components.However,the performance of time synchronous averaging is seriously limited when the separate segments are poorly synchronized.This paper proposes a new averaging method capable of extracting periodic components without external reference and an accurate period to solve this problem.With this approach,phase detection and compensation eliminate all segments'phase differences,which enables the segments to be well synchronized.The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by numerical and experimental signals.

A consensus time synchronization protocol in wireless sensor network

Time synchronization is one of the base techniques in wireless sensor networks(WSNs).This paper proposes a novel time synchronization protocol which is a robust consensusbased algorithm in the existence of transmission delay and packet loss.It compensates for transmission delay and packet loss firstly,and then,estimates clock skew and clock offset in two steps.Simulation and experiment results show that the proposed protocol can keep synchronization error below 2μs in the grid network of 10 nodes or the random network of 90 nodes.Moreover,the synchronization accuracy in the proposed protocol can keep constant when the WSN works up to a month.

MPC-based time synchronizationmethod for V2V (vehicle-tovehicle)communication

Purpose–As the strategy of 5G new infrastructure is deployed and advanced,5G-R becomes the primary technical system for future mobile communication of China’s railway.V2V communication is also an important application scenario of 5G communication systems on high-speed railways,so time synchronization between vehicles is critical for train control systems to be real-time and safe.How to improve the time synchronization performance in V2V communication is crucial to ensure the operational safety and efficiency of high-speed railways.Design/methodology/approach–This paper proposed a time synchronization method based on model predictive control(MPC)for V2V communication.Firstly,a synchronous clock for V2V communication was modeled based on the fifth generation mobile communication-railway(5G-R)system.Secondly,an observation equation was introduced according to the phase and frequency offsets between synchronous clocks of two adjacent vehicles to construct an MPC-based space model of clock states of the adjacent vehicles.Finally,the optimal clock offset was solved through multistep prediction,rolling optimization and other control methods,and time synchronization in different V2V communication scenarios based on the 5G-R system was realized through negative feedback correction.Findings–The results of simulation tests conducted with and without a repeater,respectively,show that the proposed method can realize time synchronization of V2V communication in both scenarios.Compared with other methods,the proposed method has faster convergence speed and higher synchronization precision regardless of whether there is a repeater or not.Originality/value–This paper proposed an MPC-based time synchronization method for V2V communication under 5G-R.Through the construction of MPC controllers for clocks of adjacent vehicles,time synchronization was realized for V2V communication under 5G-R by using control means such as multistep prediction,rolling optimization,and feedback correction.In view of the problems of low synchronization precision and slow convergence speed caused by packet loss with existing synchronization methods,the observer equation was introduced to estimate the clock state of the adjacent vehicles in case of packet loss,which reduces the impact of clock error caused by packet loss in the synchronization process and improves the synchronization precision of V2V communication.The research results provide some theoretical references for V2V synchronous wireless communication under 5G-R technology.

Simsync: A Time Synchronization Simulator for Sensor Networks

Time synchronization is a critical middleware service of wireless sensor networks. Researchers have already proposed some time synchronization algorithms. However, due to the demands for various synchronization precision, existing time synchronization algorithms often need to be adapted. So it is necessary to evaluate these adapted algorithms before use. Software simulation is a valid and quick way to do it. In this paper, we present a time synchronization simulator, Simsync, for wireless sensor networks. We decompose the packet delay into 6 delay components and model them separately. The frequency of crystal oscillator is modeled as Gaussian. To testify its effectiveness, we simulate the reference broadcast synchronization algorithm (RBS) and the timing-sync synchronization algorithm (TPSN) on Simsync. Simulated results are also presented and analyzed.

Approach to inter-satellite time synchronization for micro-satellite cluster

Micro-satellite cluster enables a whole new class of missions for communications, remote sensing, and scientific research for both civilian and military purposes. Synchronizing the time of the satellites in a cluster is important for both cluster sensing capabilities and its autonomous operating. However, the existing time synchronization methods are not suitable for microsatellite cluster, because it requires too many human interventions and occupies too much ground control resource. Although, data post-process may realize the equivalent time synchronization, it requires processing time and powerful computing ability on the ground, which cannot be implemented by cluster itself. In order to autonomously establish and maintain the time benchmark in a cluster, we propose a compact time difference compensation system（TDCS）, which is a kind of time control loop that dynamically adjusts the satellite reference frequency according to the time difference. Consequently, the time synchronization in the cluster can be autonomously achieved on-orbit by synchronizing the clock of other satellites to a chosen one＇s. The experimental result shows that the standard deviation of time synchronization is about 102 ps when the carrier to noise ratio（CNR） is 95 d BHz, and the standard deviation of corresponding frequency difference is approximately0.36 Hz.

Precise time frequency synchronization technology for bistatic radar

A complete method of synchronization technology of bistatic radar using global position system （GPS） is presented. The pulse per second signal （1PPS） is elaborately modified to increase the time synchronization precision and keep loop locking. A very high time synchronization precision is achieved. Using the modified 1PPS to discipline the local OCXO, the reference frequency signal achieves both high long term stability （LTS） and short term stability （STS） properties. An algorithm, named phase abrupt change CFAR is presented to restrain the 1PPS phase abrupt change and keep loop locking. The experimental results indicate that this time and frequency synchronization method is effective and the time synchronization precision of the synchronization system can be improved from ±100 ns to ±25 ns. In addition, the phase noise is improved to 20 dB.

Design and Implementation of Initial Cell Search in 5G NR Systems

The initial cell search plays an important role during the process of downlink synchronization establishment between the User Equipment(UE) and the base station. In particular, the uncertainty of the synchronization signals on the frequency domain and the flexibility of frame structure configuration have brought great challenges to the initial cell search for the fifth-generation(5G) new radio(NR). To solve this problem, firstly, we analyze the physical layer frame structure of 5G NR systems. Then, by focusing on the knowledge of synchronization signals, the 5G NR cell search process is designed, and the primary synchronization signal(PSS) timing synchronization algorithm is proposed, including a 5G-based coarse synchronization algorithm and conjugate symmetry-based fine synchronization algorithm. Finally, the performance of the proposed cell search algorithm in 5G NR systems is verified through the combination of Digital Signal Processing(DSP) and personal computer(PC). And the MATLAB simulation proves that the proposed algorithm has better performance than the conventional cross-correlation algorithm when a certain frequency offset exists.

Precise measurement method of optical fiber length based on timestamp technique

A measurement method of optical fiber length using timestamp technique is demonstrated. Based on IEEE1588 precise clock synchronization protocol, the principle that time delay asymmetry on two path results in synchronization time deviation is used, and the difference between two-path delays could be deduced by measuring the synchronization time deviation reversely. Then the length of optical fiber on one path could be calculated if that on the other path is known Due to the fact that the path of Sync and Delay_Req message is symmetric, the optical pulse dispersion and the asymmetry of photoelectric detector performance on two paths are averaged by exchanging two optical fibers. The time difference between master and slave clocks is eliminated by sharing the same time base. At last, the lengths of two single-mode optical fibers are measured with the uncertainty of 0. 578 m for 3 227. 722 m and 0. 758 m for 25 491. 522 m, respectively. Thus this method has high precision and long range.

Research on Time Synchronization Method Under Arbitrary Network Delay in Wireless Sensor Networks

To cope with the arbitrariness of the network delays,a novel method,referred to as the composite particle filter approach based on variational Bayesian(VB-CPF),is proposed herein to estimate the clock skew and clock offset in wireless sensor networks.VB-CPF is an improvement of the Gaussian mixture kalman particle filter(GMKPF)algorithm.In GMKPF,Expectation-Maximization(EM)algorithm needs to determine the number of mixture components in advance,and it is easy to generate overfitting and underfitting.Variational Bayesian EM(VB-EM)algorithm is introduced in this paper to determine the number of mixture components adaptively according to the observations.Moreover,to solve the problem of data packet loss caused by unreliable links,we propose a robust time synchronization(RTS)method in this paper.RTS establishes an autoregressive model for clock skew,and calculates the clock parameters based on the established autoregressive model in case of packet loss.The final simulation results illustrate that VB-CPF yields much more accurate results relative to GMKPF when the network delays are modeled in terms of an asymmetric Gaussian distribution.Moreover,RTS shows good robustness to the continuous and random dropout of time messages.

Fractionally Spaced Equalization Algorithms in 60GHz Communication System

Several fractionally spaced equalizers(FSE) which could be used in 60 GHz systems are presented in this paper. For 60 GHz systems, low-power equalization algorithms are favorable. We focus on FSE in both time domain(TD) and frequency domain(FD) in order to meet different complexity requirements of 60 GHz systems. Compared with symbol spaced equalizer(SSE), FSE can relax the requirement of sampling synchronization hardware significantly. Extensive simulation results show that our equalization algorithms not only eliminate ISI efficiently, but are also robust to timing synchronization errors.

Joint timing synchronization and frequency offset acquisition algorithm for MIMO OFDM systems

For multiple-input multiple-output （MIMO） orthogonal frequency division multiplexing （OFDM） systems, a joint timing synchronization and frequency offset acquisition algorithm based on fractional Fourier transform （FRFT） is proposed. The linear frequency modulation signals superimposed on the data signals are used as the training signals. By performing FRFT on the received signals and searching the peak value of the FRFT results, the receiver can realize timing synchronization and frequency offset acquisition simultaneously. Compared with the existing methods, the proposed algorithm can provide better timing synchronization performance and larger frequency offset acquisition range even under multi-path channels with low signal to noise ratio. Theoretical analysis and simulation results prove this point.

Integrated method for measuring distance and time difference between small satellites

The advancement of small satellites is promoting the development of distributed satellite systems,and for the latter,it is essential to coordinate the spatial and temporal relations between mutually visible satellites.By now,dual one-way ranging(DOWR)and two-way time transfer(TWTT)are generally integrated in the same software and hardware system to meet the limitations of small satellites in terms of size,weight and power(SWaP)consumption.However,studies show that pseudo-noise regenerative ranging(PNRR)performs better than DOWR if some advanced implementation technologies are employed.Besides,PNRR has no requirement on time synchronization.To apply PNRR to small satellites,and meanwhile,meet the demand for time difference measurement,we propose the round-way time difference measurement,which can be combined with PNRR to form a new integrated system without exceeding the limits of SWaP.The new integrated system can provide distributed small satellite systems with on-orbit high-accuracy and high-precision distance measurement and time difference measurement in real time.Experimental results show that the precision of ranging is about 1.94 cm,and that of time difference measurement is about 78.4 ps,at the signal to noise ratio of 80 dBHz.