Efficient Medium Access Control for Cyber–Physical Systems With Heterogeneous Networks

Abstract

A cyber-physical system (CPS) consists of a group of interlinked networked objects. CPSs are characteristically different from the traditional internetworked systems (e.g., Internet) due to the operating environment and their applications, which impose high reliability constraints on them. One of the fundamental considerations for enabling this technology is the medium access control (MAC). The traditional IEEE 802.11-based MAC layer solutions need to be revamped. In order to increase the efficiency of data transmission, we introduce a new approach, which argues the replacement of the traditional backoff algorithm of 802.11. The proposed approach attempts to address some of the obligations posed by CPS networks. At the core of the proposed solution is the introduction of the adaptability factor to the traditional backoff procedure, which can help CPS networks operate under diverse environmental conditions. In order to survive the high degrees of dynamism of these networks, each of the nodes is equipped with a learning automaton, which adapts to the changing environment and provides the node with the most optimized value. The consistent outperformance of the proposed approach when compared with similar existing approaches under different simulation scenarios exhibits its efficacy. The critical parameters, such as packet delivery ratio and delay, are improved by up to 40% and 27%, respectively, over the traditional protocols.