Relative Time Synchronization for Networked Nodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
In networked devices, synchronizing actions across nodes is challenging due to the lack of a universal timestamp, leading to difficulties in ensuring simultaneous execution of events, especially when commands need to propagate through multiple nodes and account for transmission delays and failures.
Innovation Solution
A first device receives a command with a relative time value, calculates an elapsed time, and adjusts it to account for transmission delays, sending the adjusted time value to subsequent nodes to ensure actions occur simultaneously, using techniques like timestamp generation, elapsed time calculation, and acknowledgement timers to handle transmission issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If commands are propagated through multiple network nodes to control distributed devices, then the system can achieve widespread device control and automation, but transmission delays and variable hop counts cause actions to occur at different times across nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by calculating transmission delays and adjusting time values before commands are propagated through the network. Each node computes the elapsed time for command transmission and proactively adjusts the time value in forwarded commands to compensate for delays, ensuring synchronized action execution across distributed devices without requiring real-time coordination.
2Manufacturing precision
If a universal timestamp is used to synchronize actions across all nodes, then simultaneous action execution can be achieved, but protocol constraints and device limitations prevent nodes from agreeing on or maintaining a network-wide absolute time metric
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by allowing each node to independently calculate and adjust time values based on its local clock and observed transmission delays. Instead of imposing a centralized time synchronization protocol, each node autonomously computes the elapsed time for command transmission and adjusts time values locally, simplifying device requirements while achieving synchronized action execution across the network.
3Manufacturing precision
If time values are adjusted to account for transmission delays, then actions can occur simultaneously across nodes, but the system must track and compensate for variable transmission times and potential command loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having each node measure the actual time elapsed between receiving and forwarding commands, then using this measured elapsed time to adjust subsequent time values. This closed-loop approach continuously adapts to varying network conditions, automatically compensating for transmission delays and jitter without requiring complex pre-calculated timing schedules or external synchronization signals.
Data Source
AI summary
A way of synchronizing action execution across networked nodes using relative time. A command and a first time value can be received at a first networked device, where the first time value can correspond to a relative time at which an action is to occur. The command can be forwarded to another, second networked device along with a second relative time value that has been adjusted to take into account the elapsed time between the receipt of the command at the first device and the sending of the command to the second device. The action, which can include one or more events, can be caused to take place upon the execution of the command at about the first time value after the command was received at the first device and at about the second time value after the command was received at the second device.