Ramp Rate Resilient Clock Synchronization Control in IEEE 1588 Networks Using Kalman Filtering

Clock synchronization plays a crucial role in modern real-time distributed systems, guaranteeing a common, consistent view of time. While the IEEE 1588 standard provides the foundational framework for synchronization, it remains a persistently investigated research area as emerging applications introduce new challenges. This article introduces an innovative approach for achieving robust and accurate control in high-precision IEEE 1588 networks in the presence of ramp rates. The proposed solution leverages a two-state linear Kalman filter, effectively balancing rapid response to ramp rates with small steady-state errors. This is accomplished by modeling the ramp rate as a stochastic process. The efficacy of the proposed ramp rate suppression Kalman filter (RRS-KF) solution is validated through both simulations and hardware measurements. The results demonstrate that the Kalman filter structure can significantly reduce the offset error to the order of 10 ns, while other performance metrics experience only minimal degradation.