Autoregressive Integrated Model for Tim...

Time synchronization is challenging in wireless sensor networks

due to the use of low-precision oscillators and the

limited computational capacity of resources limited sensor

nodes. While several schemes exist, the performance analysis

of a majority of them is based on simulations and fail

to capture key features of real world deployments. This

paper explores the use of autoregressive integrated moving

average models to provide a general clock model for sensor

nodes with low precision oscillators and limited computational

power. Based on measurements with o-the-shelf

sensor devices Z1, an autoregressive integrated model for

time synchronization is proposed. We derive a synchronization

scheme (ARI-Sync) based on this model and compare

it against the well known Flooding Time Synchronization

Protocol (FTSP) observing signicantly improved accuracy,

roughly doubling the resynchronization period of Z1 nodes

for a typical wireless sensor network application.