Network Synchronization by Means of a Returnable Timing System

This paper investigates a new method of compensating for the transmission delays encountered in communications networks employing mutual synchronization. The compensation technique suggested belongs to the category of the single-ended methods in the sense that all the phase measurements affecting the control signal supplied to the local oscillator are carried out at that particular node; however, each oscillator does get signals which reflect, to some extent, the phase relationships between the signals received and the local oscillator at all other nodes in the network. The steady-state frequency of the nodal network is found for general phase detector characteristics in order to demonstrate the profitable properties of the returnable timing system. The effects of mismatched phase detectors and imperfect delay compensation on the network steady-state frequency is given.