Title: OTSP: an optimised time synchronisation protocol for wireless sensor networks

Authors: Rachid Beghdad; Faouzi Tinsalhi

Addresses: Computer Networks Research Team, Abderrahmane Mira University, Béjaïa, Algeria ' Computer Networks Research Team, Abderrahmane Mira University, Béjaïa, Algeria

Abstract: In this work, we propose a new time synchronisation protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSNs), called OTSP for "Optimised Time Synchronisation Protocol". The proposed OTSP works in three phases: neighbour discovery phase (NDP), centre node-localisation phase, and synchronisation phase. The purpose of neighbour discovery phase is to provide neighbours' tables to the base station (BS). Using neighbours' tables, the centre node is the localised and a hierarchical tree is created. After that, the centre node will synchronise its direct neighbours and will select among them a subset of coordinators nodes. Coordinators will then propagate the synchronisation message and will also select another set of coordinators to continue the synchronisation process. This process continues until the leaf nodes are synchronised. Simulations show the superiority of OTSP, and that it outperforms TPSN, and RTSP in terms of synchronisation tree depth, energy efficiency and synchronisation error, and TSST only in term of synchronisation error.

Keywords: WSNs; wireless sensor networks; clock synchronisation; OTSP; optimised time synchronisation protocol; hierarchical tree; tree depth; energy efficiency; synchronisation errors; energy saving; neighbour discovery; centre node localisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSNET.2015.072867

International Journal of Sensor Networks, 2015 Vol.19 No.3/4, pp.217 - 233

Received: 27 Jan 2012
Accepted: 19 Oct 2012
Published online: 05 Nov 2015 *

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