Fourier Analysis from Networked Measurements Using Time Synchronization

Can frequency domain analysis be made from time-domain measurements taken over networks with poor temporal characteristics, that is, poor or no guarantees about when commands or data will be delivered, such as the public Internet? We answer this question, "Yes." It is well known that provided that the times that samples are taken are measured precisely, Fourier analysis can be performed, even when the samples are taken at nonuniform intervals. We show that combination of (1) network time synchronization and stabilization of measurement apparatus using the IEEE 1588 protocol and (2) methods for Fourier analysis of nonuniformly spaced data from the literature are sufficient to provide spectra from measurements taken with networked sensors. The approach was tested using measurements taken over the public Internet using measurement apparatus synchronized using IEEE 1588