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Repoch uses timestamps to synchronize data streams from multiple sources. Understanding how synchronization works is important for multi-camera setups and distributed systems.

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Multi-client Setup

For distributed systems with multiple processors for different parts of the robot, time synchronization becomes critical.

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Unix Timestamps

Repoch uses Unix timestamps (similar to ROS conventions) for cross-system synchronization. This requires:
  • All clients must have synchronized system clocks
  • Use NTP or PTP for clock synchronization across machines
  • The operating system handles clock management
from repoch.utils.timing import get_current_time_us

# All machines should report similar timestamps
current_time_us = get_current_time_us()  # Unix timestamp in microseconds

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Clock Synchronization Methods

Network Time Protocol - suitable for most applications:
# Check NTP sync status
timedatectl status

# Force sync
sudo systemctl restart systemd-timesyncd

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Microcontrollers

Some devices (like Arduino or ESP32) lack a system clocks. Server-side synchronisation support is coming soon.
Microcontrollers without real-time clocks should rely on the host machine for timestamps. Do not use relative timing from the microcontroller as it will drift over time.

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Next Steps

Simulation

Deploy Repoch in Simulation