AnchorSync : a robust high-accuracy low-overhead synchronization method for ble connected devices

Domadenik, Sašo (author), Jankovec, Marko (author), Topič, Marko (author)

Time synchronization is an important aspect in any electronic system composed of multiple standalone sensors. Although several well-known protocols for synchronization exist, many of them perform poorly in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) networks, due to non-deterministic delays introduced by link layer errors and retransmissions.We propose AnchorSync, a novel, single-packet synchronization method for BLE connected devices. By utilizing anchor points and connection event counters, which are by specification present in every BLE device, the method achieves continuous synchronization over the entire duration of a connection, using a single packet. Subsequent resynchronizations are done at every connection event without additional data. Furthermore, because anchor points are intrinsically tied to the BLE connection mechanism, the synchronization is as resilient to errors as the connection itself, since a misaligned anchor point would result in connection failure. We evaluate the timing accuracy of anchor points and implement the synchronization method on commercial BLE enabled microcontrollers. Experimental results demonstrate a sub-microsecond synchronization accuracy with an average power consumption of less than 190 μW per device. Robustness is further assessed through a coexistence test withWi-Fi interference, where the absolute average error of synchronization remains below 1 μs, with the worst observed error only −3.13 μs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Anchor point, Bluetooth low energy, coexistence, low-overhead, robustness, time synchronization
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 129488-129498
• Numbering: Vol. 14
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-187000
• UDC: 621.39
• ISSN on article: 2169-3536
• DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3725297
• COBISS.SI-ID: 290320387
• Publication date in RUL: 08.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: IEEE access
• Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• ISSN: 2169-3536
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519839513

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Bluetooth low energy, časovna sinhronizacija, nizek vpliv na komunikacijo, soobstoj, odpornost na motnje

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0415
• Name: Fotovoltaika in elektronika