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Experimental Research on Time Synchronization and Initiation at the Appointed Time for Wireless Electronic Detonator Initiation System

Author(s)

Zhang Wenyi1,2,3, Xie Quanmin1,2,*, Jia Yongsheng1,2

Affiliation(s)

1State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China 2Hubei Key Laboratory of Blasting Engineering, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China 3Jiangsu Police Institute, Nanjing, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

This paper proposes and experimentally validates a wireless electronic initiation system that achieves millisecond-level time synchronization and reliable detonation at a precisely scheduled moment. The system adopts a master-slave architecture based on LoRa wireless communication and the Precision Time Protocol (PTP), with embedded controllers running on STM32 and FreeRTOS platform. Unlike traditional systems that rely on real-time broadcast commands, this system employs a scheduled initiation strategy, whereby each slave device executes detonation autonomously at a pre-agreed time based on synchronized local clocks. This approach ensures high timing accuracy, improves safety by allowing pre-execution status checks of all devices, and eliminates risks associated with communication delays or interference. Experimental results confirm that the system consistently achieves sub-millisecond synchronization and precise, simultaneous initiation across multiple nodes, demonstrating its feasibility and robustness for use in complex blasting operations.

Keywords

Wireless Electronic Detonator; Wireless Initiation System; Time Synchronization; Initiation at the Appointed Time

References

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