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Multiprotocol Wireless Timer Synchronization for IoT Systems
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DOI：10.1109/lwc.2026.3725246.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Accurate time synchronization is essential for Internet of Things (IoT) systems, where distributed nodes require a shared time base for coordinated sensing and data fusion. However, conventional synchronization approaches are often limited by nondeterministic transmission latency, restricted bidirectional functionality, or protocol-specific implementation. This letter presents a protocol-agnostic wireless timer synchronization method that uses reserved radio timeslots to transmit precisely timestamped beacons in a proprietary radio mode. By decoupling synchronization from upper-layer packet exchange and leveraging hardware-timed radio events, the proposed method reduces scheduling uncertainty and achieves nanosecond-level synchronization accuracy. We first evaluated the effect of synchronization frequency and found an optimal frequency of 1000 Hz, with a minimum synchronization error of approximately 22 ns and an incremental initiator energy cost of approximately $3~\mu $ J per packet. The method was then validated across BLE, BLE Mesh, Zigbee, and Thread, where all protocols achieved sub-microsecond synchronization. Using BLE as a representative protocol, we further evaluated the effects of connection interval and application throughput. Finally, the method maintained average errors below 80 ns across four BLE devices, demonstrating its scalability for multi-device IoT networks.
Keywords:
Synchronization
wireless
IoT
timer
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