Author:
Clemens Mühlberger
Affiliation:
University of Würzburg, Germany
Keyword(s):
Desynchronization, Refractory Threshold, Self-organization, Wireless Sensor Network, Multi-hop Topology.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Ad Hoc Networks
;
Network Architecture
;
Network Performance
;
Obstacles
;
Sensor Networks
;
Wireless Information Networks
;
Wireless Mesh Networks
;
Wireless Network Protocols
Abstract:
Biologically inspired self-organization methods can help to manage the access control to the shared communication medium of wireless ad-hoc networks. One lightweight method is the primitive of desynchronization, which has already been implemented as MAC protocol for single-hop topologies successfully. Here, each periodically transmitting node is able to establish a collision-free TDMA schedule autonomously. However, multi-hop topologies are more realistic, but also more difficult to handle. For instance, the hidden terminal problem is inherent in such topologies and complicates an implementation of this primitive as MAC protocol for multi-hop topologies: Each node requires knowledge about its two-hop neighborhood to establish a collision-free TDMA schedule. Moreover, the problem of stale information is inherent in the primitive of desynchronization and even could destabilize the whole system.
In this paper we describe our experience when extending a single-hop MAC protocol based on t
he primitive of desynchronization for its usage within multi-hop topologies. During development, we identified some pitfalls of desynchronization in multi-hop topologies, like stale information. As a result, we present our solution of a self-organized MAC protocol based on the primitive of desynchronization for multi-hop topologies.
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