An Optimized Broadcast-Based Synchronization Protocol for Wireless Time Sensitive Networks

Wireless Time-Sensitive Networks (TSNs) play a crucial role in ensuring high-reliability and low-latency communication, which are fundamental for industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. However, extending TSNs to wireless domains introduces unique challenges, including constrained channel resources and significant propagation delay variations. This paper presents a novel broadcast-based synchronization protocol tailored for multi-node wireless TSNs. The proposed method leverages broadcast frames for simultaneous delay estimation across multiple nodes, significantly reducing channel occupancy. It incorporates a cyclic measurement mechanism that captures delay variation through repeated measurements, enabling robust modeling of delay jitter. Additionally, synchronization accuracy is further enhanced by applying Bayesian estimation based on the measured delay distribution, an approach that outperforms conventional mean-delay compensation strategies. Simulation results demonstrate that the protocol reduces channel usage by up to 50% compared to conventional methods, while maintaining exceptional synchronization accuracy even under conditions of severe delay jitter. Moreover, the proposed method was validated in a large-scale network environment, and several synchronization strategies in multi-AP scenarios were introduced. These findings underscore the protocol’s potential to enhance the reliability and practicality of general wireless TSNs, with IIoT applications in complex industrial environments serving as representative and demanding use cases.