Self-correcting time synchronization in wireless sensor networks using low-power devices

Bruscato, Leandro Tavares; Freitas, Edison Pignaton de; Heimfarth, Tales; Araujo, João Paulo de

doi:10.1109/iecon.2016.7793432

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Understanding the importance of time synchronization for WSN and the challenge to achieve an efficient solution for this issue, this paper continues the studies started in [ 6 ], proposing methods to achieve time synchronization in WSNs, combining and adapting basic time synchronization methods found in the literature. The beginning of this work reported in [ 6 ] highlighted the main problems related to the overhead in number of synchronizing messages and complexity of traditional approaches applied to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) wireless sensor nodes. Moreover, this previous work provided the direction of possible solutions for these problems using self-correction as a promising strategy for clock synchronization in WSNs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…The basis for each of these two methods were introduced in [ 6 ] and further developed and enhanced, generating a third one that outperforms the first two by introducing an analytical estimation. In this sense, the three proposed approaches represent evolutionary steps toward a synchronization algorithm that provides a better trade-off between the synchronization precision and energy consumption, as will be further explored in the results section.…”

Section: Proposed Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Enhancing Time Synchronization Support in Wireless Sensor Networks

Bruscato

Heimfarth

Freitas

2017

Sensors

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With the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology becoming reality, a number of applications are being proposed. Several of these applications are highly dependent on wireless sensor networks (WSN) to acquire data from the surrounding environment. In order to be really useful for most of applications, the acquired data must be coherent in terms of the time in which they are acquired, which implies that the entire sensor network presents a certain level of time synchronization. Moreover, to efficiently exchange and forward data, many communication protocols used in WSN rely also on time synchronization among the sensor nodes. Observing the importance in complying with this need for time synchronization, this work focuses on the second synchronization problem, proposing, implementing and testing a time synchronization service for low-power WSN using low frequency real-time clocks in each node. To implement this service, three algorithms based on different strategies are proposed: one based on an auto-correction approach, the second based on a prediction mechanism, while the third uses an analytical correction mechanism. Their goal is the same, i.e., to make the clocks of the sensor nodes converge as quickly as possible and then to keep them most similar as possible. This goal comes along with the requirement to keep low energy consumption. Differently from other works in the literature, the proposal here is independent of any specific protocol, i.e., it may be adapted to be used in different protocols. Moreover, it explores the minimum number of synchronization messages by means of a smart clock update strategy, allowing the trade-off between the desired level of synchronization and the associated energy consumption. Experimental results, which includes data acquired from simulations and testbed deployments, provide evidence of the success in meeting this goal, as well as providing means to compare these three approaches considering the best synchronization results and their costs in terms of energy consumption.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Proposed Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%