Implementation of a Timestamping Service for SunSPOT Sensors

Recent technological advances have enabled the development of sensing platforms that include different types of sensors, and integrate several components such as memory, processor, and radio. Time synchronization is a critical service for a wide range of applications in wireless sensor networks. Through this service, the sensors in the network are able to coordinate and carry out sensing processes in a way that permits the correct ordering of the global events, and save energy. The protocols that provide better accuracy rely on a timestamping mechanism which allows them to eliminate several sources of error in the time synchronization process. However, in newer platforms, such as SunSPOT, no timestamping mechanism is provided. In this paper, we present an implementation of a microsecond accuracy timestamping service in the SunSPOT platform, which provides the foundation for the implementation of accurate time synchronization protocols in a wireless SunSPOT sensor network.