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Distributed Time Synchronization in Wireless Sensor Networks with Coupled Discrete-Time Oscillators

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking volume 2007, Article number: 057054 (2007) Cite this article

Abstract

In wireless sensor networks, distributed timing synchronization based on pulse-coupled oscillators at the physical layer is currently being investigated as an interesting alternative to packet synchronization. In this paper, the convergence properties of such a system are studied through algebraic graph theory, by modeling the nodes as discrete-time clocks. A general scenario where clocks may have different free-oscillation frequencies is considered, and both time-invariant and time-variant network topologies (or fading channels) are discussed. Furthermore, it is shown that the system of oscillators can be studied as a set of coupled discrete-time PLLs. Based on this observation, a generalized system design is discussed, and it is proved that known results in the context of conventional PLLs for carrier acquisition have a counterpart in distributed systems. Finally, practical details of the implementation of the distributed synchronization algorithm over a bandlimited noisy channel are covered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Wireless Communications and Signal Processing Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ, 07102-1982, USA

    O. Simeone

  2. Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133, Italy

    U. Spagnolini

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  1. O. Simeone
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  2. U. Spagnolini
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Correspondence to O. Simeone.

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Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Simeone, O., Spagnolini, U. Distributed Time Synchronization in Wireless Sensor Networks with Coupled Discrete-Time Oscillators. J Wireless Com Network 2007, 057054 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1155/2007/57054

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