Frequency hopping mobile ad hoc and sensor network synchronization

The time synchronization is one of the main issues in frequency hopping mobile ad hoc networks (FH MANET) or time synchronous wireless sensor networks (TWSN). In the former case a network wide time reference is needed in FH code phase synchronization and in the latter case, e.g., in time stamping of the sensed phenomenon. Herein, a distributed decision making method(s) that solves the problems considering initial time synchronization, FH code phase synchronization, late-entry nodes and subnetwork merging cases of tactical FH MANETs and TWSNs is proposed. One of the starting points is a recently developed robust control channel method that enables the nodes to exchange the necessary synchronization messages prior the frequency hopping synchronism, i.e., out-of-phase. The proposed method is master free and based on node identifiers and local information that a node collects from the surroundings, namely local density and local data-activity. Simulation results are given that prove the functionality and the potentiality of the proposed methods.