A Lightweight And Active Time Synchronization Algorithm In Wireless Sensor Network

Sensor technology, communication technology and computer technology are the three basic functions in the IT field. They separately accomplish the follwing three functions, which are information collectting, information transmiting and information processing.Wireless sensor network (WSN) is an emerging concept, it gathers the three basic functions which mentioned above all into one, and this greatly expands the interactive categories between the human society and natural world. So WSN has a broad prospect in many kinds of applications.Time synchronization is an importantly supportive technology in wireless sensor network. Many applications and other key technologies are all based on the presupposition that all nods in the network have the same time.This paper illustrates the principle of time synchronization, and especially intruduces the present research situation of time synchronization in wireless sensor network. Then this paper lists three classical synchronization algorithms, including TPSN, DMTS and RBS, and analyzes the principles and characteristics of each one.On the basis of the study and actual requirement of AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) application which belongs to Smart Home category, this paper proposes a kind of lightweight and active time synchronization algorithm in wireless sensor network.And implements this algorithm on Mambo hardware platform (MSP430 and CC2420), as well as software platform (TinyOS) .In the end, this paper gives a validation to this time synchronization algorithm by analyzing the measured data, and gets the conclusion that this lightweight and active time synchronization algorithm can basically satisfy AMR's requirement in the aspects of function and accuracy.