Machine-to-machine Smart Grid Synchronization for Sustainable Energy

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication is a recently developed technology in data communication network which extends to indoor coverage for serving smart grid and intelligent grid network. Synchronization is one of the most significant technical challenges in M2M networks to guarantee an acceptable clock offset and frequency error (skew), which leads to severe interference between machines, where all are working in same frequency under a licensed spectrum. Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna cannot synchronize M2M networks because of lack of signal strength in indoor environment. Highprecision crystal oscillators can solve the synchronization timing problem, but they are often too expensive for machine devices. In addition, machines can also interfere with each other if multiple units are in close proximity. In some cases, conflicting machines may simultaneously raise transmit power in order to improve signal quality, thereby creating some interference. In other words, when machine transmits at high power, it reduces the capacity of the mBS. Furthermore, in a flat M2M structured network using IEEE 1588 synchronization algorithm creates clock offset and skew which results inaccurate synchronization. However, in this paper a new concept of cluster-based time synchronization scheme is proposed in order to reduce clock offset and skew to achieve precise synchronization among neighboring machines. The results show that the proposed scheme is able to reduce the offset and skew significantly by the number of synchronization process. Therefore, it can be strongly recommend that proposed scheme achieved better synchronization accuracy than the existing schemes.