Widening the Coverage of Reference Broadcast Infrastructure Synchronization in Wi-Fi Networks
Gianluca Cena, Pietro Chiavassa, Gabriele Formis, Stefano Scanzio
TL;DR
The paper tackles the limited coverage of Reference Broadcast Infrastructure Synchronization (RBIS) in Wi‑Fi networks by introducing DOMINO, an extension that enables time dissemination beyond a single BSS. It combines RBIS concepts with boundary clocks and a dynamic grandmaster clock algorithm to propagate a shared time base across overlapping APs and large areas, even in mobile and lossy environments. Core contributions include formal definitions of extended topology, direct and indirect synchronization procedures, clash avoidance, and dynamic parent/GC selection mechanisms. The work aims to deliver scalable, plant‑wide clock synchronization using off‑the‑shelf Wi‑Fi hardware without modifying AP firmware, with future work on formal proofs and performance evaluation.
Abstract
Precise clock synchronization protocols are increasingly used to ensure that all the nodes in a network share the very same time base. They enable several mechanisms aimed at improving determinism at both the application and communication levels, which makes them highly relevant to industrial environments. Reference Broadcast Infrastructure Synchronization (RBIS) is a solution specifically conceived for Wi-Fi that exploits existing beacons and can run on commercial devices. In this paper, an evolution of RBIS is presented, we call DOMINO, whose coverage area is much larger than the single Wi-Fi infrastructure network, potentially including the whole plant. In particular, wireless stations that can see more than one access point at the same time behave as boundary clocks and propagate the reference time across overlapping networks.