Simultaneity analysis in a wireless sensor network

Abstract

An original wireless sensor network for vibration measurements was designed. Its primary purpose is modal analysis of vibrations of large structures. A number of experiments have been performed to evaluate the system, with special emphasis on the influence of different effects on simultaneity of data acquired from remote nodes, which is essential for modal analysis. One of the issues is that quartz crystal oscillators, which provide time reading on the devices, are optimized for use in the room temperature and exhibit significant frequency variations if operated outside the 20-30 degrees C range. Although much research was performed to optimize algorithms of synchronization in wireless networks, the subject of temperature fluctuations was not investigated and discussed in proportion to its significance. This paper describes methods used to evaluate data simultaneity and some algorithms suitable for its improvement in small to intermediate size ad-hoc wireless sensor networks exposed to varying temperatures often present in on-site civil engineering measurements.