Ultra-Precise PTP Implementation Extended with a Kalman Filter for Wireless Clock Synchronization Enabling Signal Time-of-Flight and Distance Measurements

Ghasemi R, Kögel T, Fenske P, Gunders-Hunt D, Vossiek M (2025)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2025

Publisher: IEEE

Pages Range: 103-106

Conference Proceedings Title: 22nd European Radar Conference (EuRAD)

Event location: Utrecht, Netherlands

URI: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11234260

DOI: 10.239199/EuRAD65285.2025.11234260

Abstract

This study presents a high-precision, real-time clock synchronization process based on the FPGA-implemented precision time protocol (PTP), enhanced with a Kalman filter to achieve superior timing accuracy. The proposed methodology enables precise time offset and frequency skew estimation in distributed systems, achieving an accuracy of ±3.26 ns for time offset and less than 2 ppb for frequency skew. While primarily designed for clock synchronization, its fine-grained precision extends its applicability to real-time signal time-of-flight (ToF) estimation for coarse distance measurement. The challenge stems from the extreme sensitivity of ToF-based estimations to timing inaccuracies, where a 1 ns timing error translates to approximately 30 cm of distance uncertainty. Experimental results validate the proposed approach, demonstrating substantial improvements in timing precision for time-sensitive applications and enabling highly accurate coarse distance estimation.

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How to cite

APA:

Ghasemi, R., Kögel, T., Fenske, P., Gunders-Hunt, D., & Vossiek, M. (2025). Ultra-Precise PTP Implementation Extended with a Kalman Filter for Wireless Clock Synchronization Enabling Signal Time-of-Flight and Distance Measurements. In 22nd European Radar Conference (EuRAD) (pp. 103-106). Utrecht, Netherlands, NL: IEEE.

MLA:

Ghasemi, Roghayeh, et al. "Ultra-Precise PTP Implementation Extended with a Kalman Filter for Wireless Clock Synchronization Enabling Signal Time-of-Flight and Distance Measurements." Proceedings of the 2025 22nd European Radar Conference (EuRAD), Utrecht, Netherlands IEEE, 2025. 103-106.

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