GNSS Time Synchronization in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks: Benefits and Feasibility

Time synchronization is critical for the operation of distributed systems in networked environments. It is also demanded in vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs), which, as a special type of wireless networks, are becoming increasingly important for emerging cooperative intelligent transport systems. G...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on intelligent transportation systems 2018-12, Vol.19 (12), p.3915-3924
Main Authors: Hasan, Khondokar Fida, Feng, Yanming, Tian, Yu-Chu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computer networks
Feasibility
Global navigation satellite system
GNSS
Intelligent transportation systems
Mobile ad hoc networks
Mobile computing
Model accuracy
Navigation satellites
Receivers
Synchronism
Synchronization
Time synchronization
Vehicles
Vehicular ad hoc networks
Vehicular ad-hoc network
Wireless networks
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Summary:Time synchronization is critical for the operation of distributed systems in networked environments. It is also demanded in vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs), which, as a special type of wireless networks, are becoming increasingly important for emerging cooperative intelligent transport systems. Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is a proven technology to provide precise timing information in many distributed systems. It is well recognized to be the primary means for vehicle positioning and velocity determination in VANETs. However, GNSS-based time synchronization is not well understood for its role in the coordination of various tasks in VANETs. To address this issue, this paper examines the requirements, potential benefits, and feasibility of GNSS time synchronization in VANETs. The availability of GNSS time synchronization is characterized by almost 100% in our experiments in high-rise urban streets, where the availability of GNSS positioning solutions is only 80%. Experiments are also conducted to test the accuracy of time synchronization with 1-PPS signals output from consumer-grade GNSS receivers. They have shown 30-ns synchronization accuracy between two receivers of different models. All these experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of GNSS time synchronization for stringent VANET applications.
ISSN:1524-9050
1558-0016
DOI:10.1109/TITS.2017.2789291