Direct Search Algorithm for Clock Skew Compensation Immune to Floating-Point Precision Loss

2025-04-21

AI Summary

This paper addresses the problem of clock offset compensation in digital communication systems, where conventional methods suffer from floating-point precision loss and rely on prior knowledge of initial clock bounds. To resolve these limitations, we propose a purely integer-based incremental error compensation algorithm. Inspired by Bresenham’s line-drawing algorithm, the method employs only integer addition, subtraction, and comparison operations, and introduces a direct search mechanism that operates without any a priori upper or lower bounds on the initial clock value—thereby eliminating floating-point arithmetic entirely. Key contributions include: (i) the first clock offset tracking scheme that achieves full adaptivity without requiring initial boundary constraints; (ii) complete elimination of floating-point precision accumulation errors; and (iii) significantly reduced iteration count, leading to faster convergence and enhanced hardware robustness. The algorithm is particularly suited for resource-constrained embedded communication systems, offering high accuracy, low computational overhead, and strong portability.

Technology Category

• Search and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Search
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Distributed CSP/Optimization
• Machine Learning: Hardware-aware ML

Application Category

• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Algorithms and analysis for incomplete, noisy, or partially observed Web-related graphs
• Responsible Web: Algorithmic accountability and transparency on the web
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments

Abstract

We have been investigating clock skew compensation immune to floating-point precision loss by taking into account the discrete nature of clocks in digital communication systems; extending Bresenham's line drawing algorithm, we constructed an incremental error algorithm using only integer addition/subtraction and comparison. Still, bounding the initial value of the clock remains a challenge, which determines the initial condition of the algorithm and thereby its number of iterations. In this letter, we propose a new incremental error algorithm for clock skew compensation, called direct search, which no longer relies on the bounds on the initial value of the clock. The numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the number of iterations in comparison to the prior work while eliminating the effect of floating-point precision loss on clock skew compensation.

Problem

• Develops integer-based algorithm for clock skew compensation
• Eliminates need for initial clock value bounds
• Reduces iterations and floating-point precision loss

Innovation

• Extends Bresenham's algorithm for clock skew
• Uses integer operations to avoid precision loss
• Direct search eliminates initial clock bounds