A Novel Approach for Enhanced Network Formation in 6TiSCH-based IoT Low-Power and Lossy Networks

Abstract

The Internet of Things – Low-Power and Lossy Networks (IoT-LLN) can operate with low power consumption and support reliable communication even in noisy and congested environments. Minimal 6TiSCH Configuration (6TiSCH-MC) and Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) protocols bootstrap the IoT-LLN with minimum resources. The 6TiSCH and RPL protocols transmit different control messages for network bootstrapping and maintenance. The 6TiSCH-MC allows only a single minimal cell in each slotframe for transferring and receiving control messages. All network-associated nodes transmit their control messages simultaneously, using the same channel, which leads to collisions. Due to these control message collisions, new nodes waiting to associate with the network are not receiving the required control messages. It delays network formation, and nodes consume more energy. This research work proposes Two Minimal Cells with Dynamic ChannelOffset (TMDC) to overcome the bootstrapping issue of the 6TiSCH-MC. The TMDC increases the minimal cell count to two and provides mutual synchronization between parent and child nodes for transmitting and receiving control messages. The Contiki-NG's COOJA simulator was used for extensive simulation analysis. The TMDC bootstraps networks quicker with less energy and associates more nodes into the network than the 6TiSCH-MC.