Frame-Type-Aware Static Time Slotted Channel Hopping Scheduling Scheme for Large-Scale Smart Metering Networks

Abstract

Time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) medium access control is a promising technology for the construction of reliable large-scale smart metering networks. However, the existing TSCH scheduling methods do not meet the requirements of large-scale smart metering applications. In particular, link throughput limits exist, which yield packet latency and buffer overflows. In this paper, we propose a static TSCH scheduling scheme that permits all nodes in the TSCH network to transmit or receive frames in any slot. To reduce network control message collisions, we define the broadcast slots and unicast slots individually. To assess the performance of the proposed TSCH scheduling scheme, an evaluation is performed in a real-world testbed. The proposed scheduling scheme achieves a high packet delivery ratio (PDR), even in large-scale and densely deployed networks. In most scenarios, the reliability required by smart metering services is achieved. In a 100-node network, in particular, the proposed scheduling method achieves a PDR exceeding 99%, even when 350-byte packets are collected every 60 s. The scheme and results reported in this study have potential application as guidelines for implementation of large-scale TSCH-based smart metering networks.