A control component of a master node of a distributed acquisition system , the control component comprising a processing device configured to: acquire a configuration that provides a definition for a packet interval, wherein the packet interval definition provides an adequate timing margin to ensure that communication packets transmitted by the master node and a plurality of slave nodes of the distributed acquisition system , occur only at harmonics of the packet interval definition, and wherein the packet interval definition is a maximum expected time between successive transmission start times of communication packets transmitted by the master node ; wherein the control component is further configured to: distribute a time reference packet of the communication packets based on the packet interval definition to all of the slave nodes of the distributed acquisition system via a bus coupled to the master node and to the plurality of slave nodes; and schedule transmission of communication packets transmitted by the master node via the bus to one or more selected slave nodes based on the packet interval definition: wherein the control component expects communication packets transmitted by the plurality of slave nodes to be synchronized based on the packet interval definition; and wherein the bus is configured for two-way communication, and the control component is further configured to control ownership of the bus based on the packet interval definition, wherein controlling ownership of the bus includes granting limited access to the bus for a single selected slave node of the plurality of slave nodes . acquire a configuration that provides a definition for a packet interval, wherein the packet interval definition provides an adequate timing margin to ensure that communication packets transmitted by the master node and a plurality of slave nodes of the distributed acquisition system , occur only at harmonics of the packet interval definition, and wherein the packet interval definition is a maximum expected time between successive transmission start times of communication packets transmitted by the master node ; wherein the control component is further configured to: distribute a time reference packet of the communication packets based on the packet interval definition to all of the slave nodes of the distributed acquisition system via a bus coupled to the master node and to the plurality of slave nodes; and schedule transmission of communication packets transmitted by the master node via the bus to one or more selected slave nodes based on the packet interval definition: wherein the control component expects communication packets transmitted by the plurality of slave nodes to be synchronized based on the packet interval definition; and wherein the bus is configured for two-way communication, and the control component is further configured to control ownership of the bus based on the packet interval definition, wherein controlling ownership of the bus includes granting limited access to the bus for a single selected slave node of the plurality of slave nodes . wherein the control component expects communication packets transmitted by the plurality of slave nodes to be synchronized based on the packet interval definition; and wherein the bus is configured for two-way communication, and the control component is further configured to control ownership of the bus based on the packet interval definition, wherein controlling ownership of the bus includes granting limited access to the bus for a single selected slave node of the plurality of slave nodes . <EOS>