Distributed Time Management in Wireless Sensor Networks

Keeping time synchronization between nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is an important task allowing reduction of power consumption and better bandwidth usage due to collision avoidance. In this article we discuss requirements and practical limitations of time synchronization and present evaluation of sample algorithm, that can maintain the common clock between nodes of the WSN network that persists even in case of repeated node restarts, as long as network connectivity is maintained. We also provide measurements and temperature-dependent model of clock drift in popular WSN TelosB nodes.