Time synchronization for Wireless Sensor Networks operating in extreme temperature conditions

This paper presents an implementation of a new time synchronization scheme for energy efficient wireless sensor networks (WSN). This scheme, called sliding clock synchronization (SCS) is able to compensate for static and dynamic drifts in the frequencies of crystals used in the WSN nodes. As power is a very scarce and critical resource in most WSN, a tight synchronization scheme can drastically reduce power consumption thereby increasing the life of a WSN. Moreover, an accurate and reliable synchronization scheme enables the WSN to be used in applications that require tight synchronization for precise event and data correlation. While the SCS scheme can be used under any conditions, special attention in this paper is given to the performance of the SCS when employed in WSN operating in an environment with extreme environmental variations.