An energy saving criterion for wireless sensor networks with time synchronization requirements

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) time synchronization is essential to aggregate and to process data collected by different nodes, both in real-time and off-line. However, time synchronization protocols at the application layer may significantly increase the amount of dissipated power. This paper analyzes this problem and suggests a communication scheme as well as a criterion to reduce the power consumption of WSN nodes, while preserving communication reliability and meeting target synchronization accuracy requirements.