Synchronous waveform clock synchronization without a system controller

A modem comprising:

• a network communication interface;
• a terminal time tracking loop configured to track a terminal time reference;
• a master time tracking loop configured to track a master time reference;
• a signal processor coupled to memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the signal processor, cause the signal processor to:
• transmit, by the network communication interface, a terminal sync hop in accordance with a time reference;
• search for a terminal sync hop return near an estimated terminal sync hop receive time;
• receive, by the network communication interface, the terminal sync hop return at a terminal sync hop receive time;
• track the terminal time reference using the terminal time tracking loop in accordance with the terminal sync hop receive time;
• search for a master sync hop return;
• receive, by the network communication interface, the master sync hop return at a master sync hop receive time;
• track the master time reference using the master time tracking loop in accordance with the master sync hop receive time;
• calculate a time difference between the master sync hop receive time and the terminal sync hop receive time;
• and
• adjust the terminal time reference tracked by the terminal tracking loop based on the calculated time difference.

A communication system comprising:

• a signal relay;
• a master modem comprising a master network communication interface, a master time tracking loop configured to track a master time reference, and a master signal processor coupled to first memory, the first memory storing instructions that, when executed by the master signal processor cause the master signal processor to:
• transmit to the signal relay, by the master network communication interface, a master sync hop in accordance with the master time reference;
• search for a master sync hop return near an estimated master sync hop receive time;
• receive from the signal relay, by the master network communication interface, the master sync hop return at a master modem master sync hop receive time;
• and
• track the master time reference based on the master sync hop receive time;
• and
• a client modem comprising a client network communication interface, a client time tracking loop configured to track a client time reference, a master time tracking loop configured to track the master time reference, and a client signal processor coupled to second memory, the second memory storing instructions that, when executed by the client signal processor cause the client signal processor to:
• transmit to the signal relay, by the client network communication interface, a client sync hop in accordance with the second time reference;
• search for a client sync hop return near an estimated client sync hop receive time;
• receive from the signal relay, by the client network communication interface, the client sync hop return at a client sync hop receive time;
• track the second time reference based on the second sync hop receive time;
• search for the master sync hop;
• receive from the signal relay the master sync hop at a client modem master sync hop receive time;
• track the master time reference based on the client modem master sync hop receive time;
• calculate a time difference between the client sync hop receive time and the client modem master sync hop receive time;
• and
• adjust the second time reference based on the calculated time difference.