Design of Synchronization Protocols for LoRa Networks in IoT Applications
摘要
Many IoT applications, especially time-sensitive applications, require precise time synchronization protocols. LoRa protocol offers a long-range, low data rate solution for those applications, but operates in an asynchronous mode and without multi-hop support. Generalized time precision protocol (gPTP), originally designed for wired networks, hasn’t been explored as a solution for wireless environments. In this work, we propose an implementation of gPTP over the LoRa network to support future multi-hop LoRa networks and a unified base of time for time-sensitive applications. In addition, we calculate the required time between synchronization cycles to maintain accuracy without compromising energy consumption and network traffic. In addition, we perform several experiments on real LoRa nodes, that validate the expected performance and synchronization periods. Finally, the results showed that gPTP is suitable for LoRa networks with precision depending on hardware construction and timer resolution.