A Fast Network Configuration Algorithm for TDMA Wireless Sensor Networks

Fernando Royo,Miguel Lopez-Guerrero,Luis Orozco-Barbosa,Teresa Olivares

doi:10.1155/2010/513527

Abstract

The deployment of large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSNs) presents various challenges whose solution requires the design and development of power-and-time efficient protocols. In this context many proposals and various standards have suggested the use of time division multiple access (TDMA) in order to guarantee tight-time scheduling and high overall network throughput under high load conditions. However, in TDMA networks the time and overhead required during the setup phase are major drawbacks that are often overlooked. In this paper we introduce a simple and robust algorithm specially tailored to be used during the setup phase of a TDMA-based WSN. The proposed algorithm makes use of 2C, a conflict resolution protocol with some advantageous properties. As a case study, we consider the setup phase of the synchronous protocol SA-MAC. Our results show that the proposed algorithm is able to configure highly populated networks in significantly shorter times than traditional CSMA/CA. Furthermore, an experimental prototype has been developed allowing us to show the feasibility of deploying the proposal using off-the-shelf components.

Highlights

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) provide a new way of working for traditional applications such as environmental monitoring, security, and robotics [1]
Throughout extensive simulation work we evaluate the performance and operation of our proposal and show that the 2C-based approach is able to speed up the network configuration time as compared with solutions based on traditional CSMA/CA
CSMA/CA began having problems completing the network configuration for a system consisting of as few as seven nodes. This is due to the fact that once having reached the value defined in the parameter MaxCSMABackoffs, CSMA/CA gives up and reports a network failure to upper layers

Summary

Introduction

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) provide a new way of working for traditional applications such as environmental monitoring, security, and robotics [1]. Power saving has been the main driving force behind the development of several protocols that have recently been introduced in the literature (see [2] for a recent survey) In this context, the largest energy savings are achieved by protocols whose communications are based on time division multiple access (TDMA). In order to achieve collision-free communications and minimum endto-end latency, TDMA communications require a network configuration phase where all node transmissions must be scheduled. In this phase all nodes will have to establish a father-and-child relation in order to create the network and there will be contention and its related effects such as collisions and delays. Network configuration algorithms must be fast, scalable, and flexible enough to handle networks of various sizes with no human intervention

Objectives

Results

Conclusion