Time Scales in Probabilistic Models of Wireless Sensor Networks

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the behavior of clock synchronization in large wireless sensor networks, identifying key time scales and phase transitions that influence synchronization accuracy.

Contribution

It provides a detailed stochastic model and exact time scales for effective synchronization, including phase transition phenomena, in large sensor networks.

Findings

Estimate of synchronization error for large N

Identification of critical time scales for synchronization

Existence of phase transitions in synchronization behavior

Abstract

We consider a stochastic model of clock synchronization in a wireless network consisting of N sensors interacting with one dedicated accurate time server. For large N we find an estimate of the final time sychronization error for global and relative synchronization. Main results concern a behavior of the network on different time scales $t=t_N \to \infty$, $N \to \infty$. We discuss existence of phase transitions and find exact time scales on which an effective clock synchronization of the system takes place.