Clock-Sampling Mutual Network Synchronization for Mobile Multi-hop Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

This paper presents new performance results of a mutual network synchronization approach referred to as Clock-Sampling Mutual Network Synchronization (CS-MNS). Different to other mutual synchronization approaches, CS-MNS timing information is exchanged explicitly using periodic packets referred to as beacons, which are used to carry timestamps, and hence compatibility to the widely adopted IEEE 802.11 standard is ensured, even for mobile multi-hop wireless ad hoc networks. Performance results are presented for two mobility models and large networks. Numerical comparisons demonstrate at least one to two orders of magnitude improvement in scalability and accuracy respectively relative to the IEEE 802.11 synchronization mechanism. CS-MNS also shows approximately five times better accuracy than the reported accuracies of the MANET-TSF (MATSF) and ASP under similar mobility and radio transmission range conditions.