An adaptive neighbour detection scheme for rapid configuration of wireless sensor networks

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to represent an adaptive neighbour detection scheme for rapid sensor network configuration, especially in wireless sensor network WSN systems. In typical WSNs, the sensor nodes have no knowledge about the locations of other nodes and the connections between them after deployment. For the purpose of network configuration and future data transmission schedule assignments, neighbour detection process should be carried out, but this work are usually ignored in most communication protocol designs. In our real network establishment, it is proved that neighbour detection is critically important at the beginning configuration state of the entire network and when the topology is changed. Therefore, an adaptive neighbour detection scheme is introduced, which uses signalling packet broadcasting and the corresponding adaptive back-off mechanism to guarantee a high connectivity detection probability. The work is verified by simulation and testbed experiments, and has been used in practical large scale sensor networks.