Offline synchronization of data acquisition systems using system identification

This paper presents a technique for offline time synchronization of data acquisition systems. The technique can be applied when real-time synchronization of data acquisition systems is impossible or not sufficiently accurate. It allows for accurate synchronization based on the acquired dynamic response of the structure only, without requiring a common response or the use of a trigger signal. The synchronization is performed using the results obtained from system identification, and assumes linear dynamic behavior of the structure and proportional damping of the structural modes. A demonstration for a laboratory experiment on a cantilever steel beam shows that the proposed methodology can be used for accurate time synchronization, resulting in a significant improvement of the accuracy of the identified mode shapes.