A Two-way Synchronization Method for Molecular Bio-nanosensor Networks using Truncated Lévy Distribution

Bio-nanosensors on their own have limited computational capabilities, but when working collaboratively within nanonetworks, they can perform relatively complex tasks such as sensing, computation, storage, and actuation. Molecular communication is a promising paradigm for enabling such molecular nanonetworks, making it essential to understand certain aspects of molecular communication channels for designing efficient nanonetworks. One such aspect is the time synchronization between the bio-nanosensors, which ensures proper coordination between them. Despite the potential latency introduced by a two-way synchronization in molecular communication based nanonetworks, its indispensability becomes apparent in scenarios requiring precise coordination, feedback, and adaptation among these collaborative bio-nanosensors. This paper proposes a two-way synchronization method that uses a truncated Lévy distribution to model the first arrival time of the information molecules, which realistically captures the behavior of diffusive molecular communication channels. We approach the clock synchronization analysis as an estimation problem wherein clock offset and clock skew between two bio-nanosensors are jointly estimated. Numerical results corroborate the effectiveness of our proposed synchronization technique.