Multi-channel support for DMAC in WSNs

Currently most wireless sensor network applications assume the presence of single-channel medium access control (MAC) protocols. However, lower sensing range result in dense networks, single-channel MAC protocols may be inadequate due to higher demand for the limited bandwidth. In this paper we proposed a method of multi-channel support for DMAC in Wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The channel assignment method is based on local information of nodes. Our multi-channel DMAC protocol implement channel distribution before message collecting from source nodes to sink node and made broadcasting possible in DMAC. Analysis and simulation result displays this multi-channel protocol obviously decreases the latency without increasing energy consumption.     

Energy efficient multi-channel media access control for dense wireless ad hoc and sensor networks

Traditional single-channel MAC protocols for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks favor energy-efficiency over throughput. More recent multi-channel MAC protocols display higher throughput but less energy efficiency. In this article we propose NAMAC, a negotiator-based multi-channel MAC protocol in which specially designated nodes called negotiators maintain the sleeping and communication schedules of nodes within their communication ranges in static wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. Negotiators facilitate the assignation of channels and coordination of communications windows, thus allowing individual nodes to sleep and save energy. We formally define the problem of finding the optimal set of negotiators (i.e., minimizing the number of selected negotiators while maximizing the coverage of the negotiators) and prove that the problem is NP-Complete. Accordingly, we propose a greedy negotiator-election algorithm as part of NAMAC. In addition, we prove the correctness of NAMAC through a rigorous model checking and analyze various characteristics of NAMAC—the throughput of NAMAC, impact of negotiators on network capacity, and storage and computational overhead. Simulation results show that NAMAC, at high network loads, consumes 36 % less energy while providing 25 % more throughput than comparable state-of-art multi-channel MAC protocols for ad hoc networks. Additionally, we propose a lightweight version of NAMAC and show that it outperforms (55 % higher throughput with 36 % less energy) state-of-art MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks.     

Energy efficient TDMA-based MAC protocol associated with GAF for wireless sensor networks

The design of media access control (MAC) protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with the idea of cross layer attracts more and more attention. People can improve the MAC protocol by obtaining certain information regarding the network layer and physical layer. This article synthesizes and optimizes certain cross-layer protocols which have existed. On the basis of the routing, topology information in the network layer, and transmission power information in the physical layer, the time slot assignment algorithm has been improved in the MAC layer. By using geographical adaptive fidelity algorithm (GAF) to divide the grids, controlling of transmission power and scheduling the work/sleep duty cycle for sensor nodes, a new MAC protocol has been proposed to decrease energy consumption and enlarge the lifetime of WSNs. Simulation results show that the MAC protocol functions well.     

An asynchronous low‐power medium access control protocol for wireless sensor networks

Duty cycling is a fundamental approach used in contention‐based medium access control (MAC) protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to reduce power consumption in sensor nodes. Existing duty cycle‐based MAC protocols use either scheduling or low‐power listening (LPL) to reduce unnecessary energy lost caused by idle listening and overhearing. This paper presents a new asynchronous duty‐cycled MAC protocol for WSN. It introduces a novel dual preamble sampling (DPS) approach to efficiently coordinate channel access among nodes. DPS combines LPL with a short‐strobed preamble approach to significantly reduce the idle‐listening issue in existing asynchronous protocols. We provide detailed analysis of the energy consumption by using well‐known energy models and compare our work with B‐MAC and X‐MAC, two most popular asynchronous duty cycle‐based MAC protocols for WSNs. We also present experimental results based on NS‐2 simulations. We show that depending on the traffic load and preamble length, the proposed MAC protocol improves energy consumption significantly without degrading network performances in terms of delivery ratio and latency. For example, for a traffic rate of 0.1 packets/s and a preamble length of 0.1 s, the average improvement in energy consumption is about 154%. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards a classification of energy aware MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks

Power management is an important issue in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) because wireless sensor nodes are usually battery powered, and an efficient use of the available battery power becomes an important concern specially for those applications where the system is expected to operate for long durations. This necessity for energy efficient operation of a WSN has prompted the development of new protocols in all layers of the communication stack. Provided that, the radio transceiver is the most power consuming component of a typical sensor node, large gains can be achieved at the link layer where the medium access control (MAC) protocol controls the usage of the radio transceiver unit. MAC protocols for sensor networks differ greatly from typical wireless networks access protocols in many issues. MAC protocols for sensor networks must have built‐in power conservation, mobility management, and failure recovery strategies. Furthermore, sensor MAC protocols should make performance trade‐off between latency and throughput for a reduction in energy consumption to maximize the lifetime of the network. This is in general achieved through duty cycling the radio transceiver. Many MAC protocols with different objectives were proposed for wireless sensor networks in the literature. Most of these protocols take into account the energy efficiency as a main objective. There is much more innovative work should be done at the MAC layer to address the hard unsolved problems. In this paper, we first outline and discuss the specific requirements and design trade‐offs of a typical wireless sensor MAC protocol by describing the properties of WSN that affect the design of MAC layer protocols. Then, a typical collection of wireless sensor MAC protocols presented in the literature are surveyed, classified, and described emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages whenever possible. Finally, we present research directions and identify open issues for future medium access research. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of WiseMAC and extensions on wireless sensor nodes

In the past five years, many energy-efficient medium access protocols for all kinds of wireless networks (WSNs) have been proposed. Some recently developed protocols focus on sensor networks with low traffic requirements are based on so-called preamble sampling or low-power listening. The WiseMAC protocol is one of the first of this kind and still is one of the most energy-efficient MAC protocols for WSNs with low or varying traffic requirements. However, the high energy-efficiency of WiseMAC has shown to come at the cost of a very limited maximum throughput. In this paper, we evaluate the properties and characteristics of a WiseMAC implementation in simulation and on real sensor hardware. We investigate on the energy-consumption of the prototype using state-of-the-art evaluation methodologies. We further propose and examine an enhancement of the protocol designed to improve the traffic-adaptivity of WiseMAC. By conducting both simulation and real-world experiments, we show that the WiseMAC extension achieves a higher maximum throughput at a slightly increased energy cost both in simulation and real-world experiments.     

基于网络分割的无线传感器网络多信道MAC协议

无线传感器网络中,可用正交信道数目较少和噪声干扰问题制约着多信道MAC协议性能的提升,结合数据采集应用的特点,提出一种基于网络分割的多信道MAC协议。在最小化网络总干扰值的基础上,网络分割引入碰撞因子进一步优化子树结构、降低树内干扰。并利用基于图着色理论的分配策略为每棵子树分配一条高质量信道。仿真实验结果表明,该协议显著提高了网络吞吐量,并且大幅降低了传输延迟和分组丢失率。     

Range extension cooperative MAC to attack energy hole in duty-cycled multi-hop WSNs

Effective techniques for extending lifetime in multi-hop wireless sensor networks include duty cycling and, more recently introduced, cooperative transmission (CT) range extension. However, a scalable MAC protocol has not been presented that combines both. An On-demand Scheduling Cooperative MAC protocol (OSC-MAC) is proposed to address the energy hole problem in multi-hop wireless sensor networks (WSNs). By combining an on-demand strategy and sensor cooperation intended to extend range, OSC-MAC tackles the spatio-temporal challenges for performing CT in multi-hop WSNs: cooperating nodes are neither on the same duty cycle nor are they necessarily in the same collision domain. We use orthogonal and pipelined duty-cycle scheduling, in part to reduce traffic contention, and devise a reservation-based wake-up scheme to bring cooperating nodes into temporary synchrony to support CT range extension. The efficacy of OSC-MAC is demonstrated using extensive NS-2 simulations for different network scenarios without and with mobility. Compared with existing MAC protocols, simulation results show that while we explicitly account for the overhead of CT and practical failures of control packets in dense traffic, OSC-MAC still gives 80–200 % lifetime improvement.     

PRIN: A Priority-Based Energy Efficient MAC Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks Varying the Sample Inter-Arrival Time

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used in a variety of applications to sense and transfer information to the centralized node with energy efficiency increasing the network’s lifespan. Other factors, such as quality of service (QoS) is also important to improve the performance of the WSNs, by increasing throughput and reducing end-to-end delay. In this paper, we evaluate the importance of QoS in the Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol for WSNs using different metrics and parameters such as energy efficiency, throughput, delay, and the network lifespan. We propose a new QoS MAC protocol, “PRIority in Node” (PRIN), using static priority in the source and the intermediate node and priority among the node which is one hop from the sink node to achieve QoS in WSNs. Simulation results are compared with those of the synchronous MAC protocol in terms of QoS parameters to show the improved performance of the proposed MAC protocol.     

RM-MAC: a reservation based multi-channel MAC protocol for wireless sensor networks

Convergecast is a general communication pattern of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in which sensed data is collected from outlying sensor nodes and is transmitted to a sink node. In this paper, we consider periodic convergecast, in which data packets are generated and transmitted repeatedly with a certain interval. To support the periodical packet delivery efficiently, we propose a reservation based multi-channel MAC protocol (RM-MAC) which employs a time reservation mechanism. Periodical packet delivery allows receiver nodes to recognize when the next packet is transmitted, which makes the nodes reserve the time for the next packet transmission. Consequently, our proposed mechanism can guarantee minimum delivery latency from source nodes to a sink node. Furthermore, RM-MAC provides a collision resolution mechanism which coordinates the reserved periodical transmissions among multiple sender nodes. It can prevent repeated collisions caused by the multiple-senders-single-receiver problem. We implement RM-MAC by using an ns-2 simulator to compare its performance with other protocols. The simulation results show that RM-MAC outperforms existing protocols in terms of energy efficiency and packet delivery latency.     

带休眠算法的无线传感器网络MAC协议

由于无线传感器网络中每个传感器节点的能量有限,所以需要有效的MAC协议来保持能量的高效利用。在MAC协议中引入休眠算法是其中一种重要的节能方式。现有的带休眠算法的无线传感器网络MAC协议已有很多种,主要分为2大类:一类是以S-MAC协议为代表的基于休眠/监听排程方案来达到节能目的的MAC协议;另一类是以WiseMAC为代表的基于低功率信道检测方案的MAC协议。对现有的主要几种有代表性的带休眠算法的无线传感器网络MAC协议进行了描述,分析了它们各自的优缺点,并进行了对比和总结。     

A cluster-based power-efficient MAC scheme for event-driven sensing applications

In developing an architecture for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that is extensible to hundreds of thousands of heterogeneous nodes, fundamental advances in energy efficient communication protocols must occur. In this paper, we first propose an energy-efficient and robust intra-cluster communication bit-map assisted (BMA) MAC protocol for large-scale cluster-based WSNs and then derive energy models for BMA, conventional TDMA, and energy efficient TDMA (E-TDMA) using two different approaches. We use simulation to validate these analytical models. BMA is intended for event-driven sensing applications, that is, sensor nodes forward data to the cluster head only if significant events are observed. It has low complexity and utilizes a dynamic scheduling scheme. Clustering is a promising distributing technique used in large-scale WSNs, and when combined with an appropriate MAC scheme, high energy efficiency can be achieved. The results indicate that BMA can improve the performance of wireless sensor networks by reducing energy expenditure and packet latency. The performance of BMA as an intra-cluster MAC scheme relative to E-TDMA depends on the sensor node traffic offer load and several other key system parameters. For most sensor-based applications, the values of these parameters can be constrained such that BMA provides enhanced performance.     

MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks: a survey

Wireless sensor networks are appealing to researchers due to their wide range of application potential in areas such as target detection and tracking, environmental monitoring, industrial process monitoring, and tactical systems. However, low sensing ranges result in dense networks and thus it becomes necessary to achieve an efficient medium-access protocol subject to power constraints. Various medium-access control (MAC) protocols with different objectives have been proposed for wireless sensor networks. In this article, we first outline the sensor network properties that are crucial for the design of MAC layer protocols. Then, we describe several MAC protocols proposed for sensor networks, emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we point out open research issues with regard to MAC layer design.     

MC-LMAC: A multi-channel MAC protocol for wireless sensor networks

In traditional wireless sensor network (WSN) applications, energy efficiency may be considered to be the most important concern whereas utilizing bandwidth and maximizing throughput are of secondary importance. However, recent applications, such as structural health monitoring, require high amounts of data to be collected at a faster rate. We present a multi-channel MAC protocol, MC-LMAC, designed with the objective of maximizing the throughput of WSNs by coordinating transmissions over multiple frequency channels. MC-LMAC takes advantage of interference and contention-free parallel transmissions on different channels. It is based on scheduled access which eases the coordination of nodes, dynamically switching their interfaces between channels and makes the protocol operate effectively with no collisions during peak traffic. Time is slotted and each node is assigned the control over a time slot to transmit on a particular channel. We analyze the performance of MC-LMAC with extensive simulations in Glomosim. MC-LMAC exhibits significant bandwidth utilization and high throughput while ensuring an energy-efficient operation. Moreover, MC-LMAC outperforms the contention-based multi-channel MMSN protocol, a cluster-based channel assignment method, and the single-channel CSMA in terms of data delivery ratio and throughput for high data rate, moderate-size networks of 100 nodes at different densities.     

XMSN: An efficient cross‐layer protocol for mixed wireless sensor networks

The application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) technology in monitoring systems is demanding more efficient services to fulfill the requirements of the monitoring task. For this purpose, the simultaneous presence of features such as different communication mediums (air and water) used by nodes and various sizes of data generated by heterogeneous nodes are the key obstacles to build a communication protocol, which can ensure the reliable data delivery. This work terms such WSNs as mixed wireless sensor networks (MWSNs) which contains the aforementioned features. In this paper, we introduce a new cross‐layer protocol for mixed wireless sensor network (XMSN) which can adapt these features. The proposed cross layer protocol XMSN for such mixed environment is implemented and analyzed extensively in Castalia simulator. The performance of XMSN is compared with composition of well‐known protocols, namely, CTP plus BoX‐MAC‐2. The result shows that XMSN has better efficiency in terms of end‐to‐end delay, energy consumption, and goodput than that of CTP plus BoX‐MAC‐2 protocol.     

MAC Protocols for Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks: Survey

Energy harvesting (EH) technology in the field of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is gaining increasing popularity through removing the burden of having to replace/recharge depleted energy sources by energy harvester devices. EH provides an alternative source of energy from the surrounding environment; therefore, by exploiting the EH process, WSNs can achieve a perpetual lifetime. In view of this, emphasis is being placed on the design of new medium access control (MAC) protocols that aim to maximize the lifetime of WSNs by using the maximum possible amount of harvested energy instead of saving any residual energy, given that the rate of energy harvested is greater than that which is consumed. Various MAC protocols with the objective of exploiting ambient energy have been proposed for energy‐harvesting WSNs (EH‐WSNs). In this paper, first, the fundamental properties of EH‐WSN architecture are outlined. Then, several MAC protocols proposed for EH‐WSNs are presented, describing their operating principles and underlying features. To give an insight into future research directions, open research issues (key ideas) with respect to design trade‐offs are discussed at the end of this paper.     

移动无线传感器网络中MAC性能分析及改进

以往无线传感器网络中的媒体接入控制协议主要针对静止网络。当存在移动节点时。协议性能会大幅度降低。对存在移动节点的无线传感器网络中的媒体接入控制协议进行了性能分析，提出了改进算法。仿真结果验证了算法的有效性。最后给出了一种适合移动节点较多的场景的无线传感器网络媒体接入控制协议。     

A Trusted Waterfall Framework Based Peer to Peer Protocol for Reliable and Energy Efficient Data Transmission in MANETs

Advances in lattice-based cryptography are enabling the use of public key algorithms (PKAs) in power-constrained ad hoc and sensor network devices. Unfortunately, while many wireless networks are dominated by group communications, PKAs are inherently unicast—i.e., public/private key pairs are generated by data destinations. To fully realize public key cryptography in these networks, lightweight PKAs should be augmented with energy efficient mechanisms for group key agreement. Recently, many key management schemes for the WSNs have been proposed, but the computation and communication costs of these protocols are too high to suitable for WSNs. This paper proposes a key establish protocol for the WSNs based on combined key. The protocol adopts seed key mapping technology to achieve two-party and multi-party key establish in the WSNs, it can generate a large number of combination keys with little resources. So it effectively solve the contradiction between the sensor nodes need large storage space to store shared key with their neighbors and their limited storage space. It can also achieve mutual authentication between nodes when they establish shared key. Analysis shows that the proposed protocol has the advantages in storage efficiency, computation consumption and Communication consumption and suitable for wireless networks.     

nW-MAC: multiple wake-up provisioning in asynchronously scheduled duty cycle MAC protocol for wireless sensor networks

To reduce the energy cost of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the duty cycle (i.e., periodic wake-up and sleep) concept has been used in several medium access control (MAC) protocols. Although these protocols are energy efficient, they are primarily designed for low-traffic environments and therefore sacrifice delay in order to maximize energy conservation. However, many applications having both low and high traffic demand a duty cycle MAC that is able to achieve better energy utilization with minimum energy loss ensuring delay optimization for timely and effective actions. In this paper, nW-MAC is proposed; this is an asynchronously scheduled and multiple wake-up provisioned duty cycle MAC protocol for WSNs. The nW-MAC employs an asynchronous rendezvous schedule selection technique to provision a maximum of n wake-ups in the operational cycle of a receiver. The proposed MAC is suitable to perform in both low- and high-traffic applications using a reception window-based medium access with a specific RxOp. Furthermore, per cycle multiple wake-up concept ensures optimum energy consumption and delay maintaining a higher throughput, as compare to existing mechanisms. Through analysis and simulations, we have quantified the energy-delay performance and obtained results that expose the effectiveness of nW-MAC.     

无线传感器网络体系结构和关键技术研究

文章介绍了无线传感器网络的体系结构,提出了一种基于跨层设计的管理控制机制;在对无线传感器网络的关键技术,如媒体接入控制(MAC)技术和无线路由协议,分别进行阐述和比较的基础上,提出了一种把简单的IEEE 802 MAC协议应用于无线传感器网络的思想;为了提高系统容量,提出了多信道策略,可以用来有效减少系统碰撞阻塞率,减少接入时延;认为虽然无线传感器网络的应用前景非常广阔,但是仍存在很多问题,除了要尽量减少功耗外,必须提高系统容量,减少碰撞阻塞率,以加快无线传感器网络实用化的进程.