An Energy-Efficient Solution for Improving the Flooding Time Synchronization Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we use a time synchronization technique called Flooding Time Synchronization Protocol (FTSP), which enables all nodes in the WSNs to operate in a highly precise environment, reducing clock offset caused by long-term operation. However, the frequent execution of time synchronization techniques may lead to excessive power consumption, ultimately resulting in system failure due to limited energy resources. To address these issues, we designed a system architecture and employed the DS1342 as a replacement for the internal sleep timer of the CC2530 microcontroller, aiming to reduce the overall system energy consumption. We employed the low-power ZigBee wireless communication protocol for transmitting the time synchronization packets among the nodes and measured the power consumption between sleep and active modes at specific time intervals. The experimental results demonstrated that the FTSP scheme successfully improved the time accuracy of the nodes and prevented clock offset from expanding outward. Additionally, our proposed system architecture and approach ensured ultra-low power consumption while running the time synchronization technique.