Tiny-sync

Abstract

Time synchronization is a fundamental middleware service for any distributed system. Wireless sensor networks make extensive use of synchronized time in many contexts (e.g., data fusion, TDMA schedules, synchronized sleep periods, etc.). We propose a time synchronization method relevant for wireless sensor networks. The solution features minimal complexity in network bandwidth, storage as well as processing, and can achieve good accuracy. Especially relevant for sensor networks, it also provides tight, deterministic bounds on offset and clock drift. A method for synchronizing the entire network is presented. The performance of the algorithm is analyzed theoretically and validated on a realistic testbed. The results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in terms of precision and resource requirements.