Motivated by the importance of the clock synchronization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), due to the packet loss, the synchronization error variance is a random variable and may exceed the designed boundary of the synchronization variance. Based on the clock synchronization state space model, this paper establishes the model of synchronization error variance analysis and design issues. In the analysis issue, assuming sensor nodes exchange clock information in the network with packet loss, we find a minimum clock information packet arrival rate in order to guarantee the synchronization precision at synchronization node. In the design issue, assuming sensor node freely schedules whether to send the clock information, we look for an optimal clock information exchange rate between synchronization node and reference node which offers the optimal tradeoff between energy consumption and synchronization precision at synchronization node. Finally, simulations further verify the validity of clock synchronization analysis and design from the perspective of synchronization error variance.
A Formalism for the Analysis and Design of Time and Path Diversity Schemes in Wireless Sensor Networks
