Analysis of a Clock Synchronization Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
F. Heidarian, J. Schmaltz and F.W. Vaandrager. Analysis of a Clock Synchronization Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks. In A. Cavalcanti and D. Dams, editors. Proceedings FM 2009: Formal Methods, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, November 2009. LNCS 5850, pp. 516-531, Springer-Verlag, 2009. Abstract The Dutch company Chess develops a wireless sensor network (WSN) platform using an epidemic communication model. One of the greatest challenges in the design is to find suitable mechanisms for clock synchronization. In this paper, we study a proposed clock synchronization protocol for the Chess platform. First, we model the protocol as a network of timed automata and verify various instances using the Uppaal model checker. Next, we present a full parametric analysis of the protocol for the special case of cliques (networks with full connectivity), that is, we give constraints on the parameters that are both necessary and sufficient for correctness. These results have been checked using the proof assistant Isabelle. Finally, we present a negative result for the special case of line topologies: for any instantiation of the parameters, the protocol will eventually fail if the network grows.
FM'09 version
Full version
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-05089-3_33
Accompanying dataset with Uppaal models, a manual proof and the Isabelle proof
slides
A comment on Assegei's use of Kalman filters for clock synchronization