Ultra Wideband-based wireless synchronization of IEEE 1588 clocks

Time-Sensitive Networking requires clock synchronization superior to the well-known Network Time Protocol (NTP). The IEEE 802.1AS-2020 used for synchronization in TSN networks is based on the IEEE 1588-2019 standard (also known as Precision Time Protocol, PTP) defines methods and tools to perform sub-microsecond time synchronization over various communication channels. However, the IEEE 1588 implementation is commonly used with wired communication protocols, although there are use cases that could gain an advantage from a wireless solution. This paper investigates the possibility of PTP clock synchronization through wireless Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication. UWB excels where other wireless technologies are lacking: it provides high accuracy timestamping even if multipath propagation is present. The method is evaluated using commercial, well-accessible cheap hardware, resulting in the order of 10-nanosecond accuracy. The paper also highlights the main error components and requirements for improving wireless PTP synchronization.