Robust synchronization of networks of heterogeneous double-integrators with applications to wireless sensor networks

This paper deals with the problem of clock synchronization in WSN networks. Clocks are modeled as nonidentical double integrators with uncertain zeros and outputs corresponding to their time-readings. Synchronization is achieved through a control strategy based on second order linear consensus-like algorithm, and its robustness with the respect to the uncertainties on the clocks’ dynamics is studied resorting to recently developed tools for synchronization of heterogeneous networks. An implementable, nonlinear version of the previous control strategy is also revised. Numerical simulations show that the behavior of the linear model which is analyzed here well approximates that of the implementable, realistic one.