Abstract
Networking in power line communication (PLC) smart-grids (PLC-SGs) is a major challenge due to the unique characteristics of the physical-, link- and network layers. The RPL (Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks) routing protocol is considered as one of the potential candidates for routing for PLC-SGs, however, the behavior and performance of RPL is not yet scrutinized for its suitability as a proper routing solution for large and realistic PLC-SG networks. In this work we investigate the performance of the RPL protocol in large PLC-SGs, configured from hundreds to thousands of network elements. Field measurements are used to set the channel and neighborhood characteristics. We consider electrical meter reading and adaptive billing as potential applications using the routing layer. We incorporated several improvements for RPL's features and configuration parameters, in order to address the constraints imposed by the requirements of practical PLC-SGs. Our results are based on extensive simulations, and show that in spite of these improvements RPL may not be suitable routing solution for large PLC-SGs, operating under realistic conditions.
Published Version
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