Bio-inspired hybrid control of pulse-coupled oscillators and application to synchronization of a wireless network

Abstract

Pulse-coupled oscillators (PCOs) are limit cycle oscillators coupled in an impulsive rather than smooth manner. Its importance in biology and engineering has motivated the community to understand basic properties and design principles of PCO networks. In this work we address synchronization of PCO networks subject to both a global cue and local interactions using a hybrid systems approach. We characterize solutions and give synchronization conditions using phase response curves as design element. To illustrate the results, we provide an evaluation in QualNet™, a widely used commercial network simulator.