Noise-Robust-Based Clock Parameter Estimation and Low-Overhead Time Synchronization in Time-Sensitive Industrial...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Network Engineering

Background:

• Time synchronization is crucial for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) operations.
• Constrained resources in IIoT devices pose challenges for high-precision synchronization and low communication overhead.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a single-timestamp time synchronization scheme to reduce communication overhead in IIoT.
• To develop a noise-robust Maximum Likelihood Estimation (NR-MLE) algorithm for accurate clock parameter estimation amidst random delays.

Main Methods:

• A single-timestamp scheme collects sensor data via an Access Point (AP) to minimize communication overhead.
• Matrix decomposition and gradient descent are used to denoise timestamp data.
• Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) jointly estimates clock skew and offset using denoised data.

Main Results:

• The proposed scheme significantly reduces communication overhead, alleviating network congestion and enabling low end-to-end latency.
• The NR-MLE algorithm demonstrates superior clock parameter estimation accuracy compared to conventional MLE.
• The NR-MLE algorithm shows strong robustness against increasing levels of random delay noise.

Conclusions:

• The developed time synchronization scheme effectively reduces communication overhead in IIoT networks.
• The NR-MLE algorithm provides accurate and robust clock synchronization, crucial for time-sensitive IIoT applications.