A framework for real time communication in sensor networks

Abstract

The introduction of real time communication has created additional challenges in the wireless networks area with different communication constraints. Sensor nodes spend most of their lifetime functioning as a small router to deliver packets from one node to another until the packet reaches the sink. Since sensor networks represent a new generation of time-critical applications, it is often necessary for communication to meet real time constraints as well as other constrains. Nevertheless, research dealing with providing QoS guarantees for real time traffic in sensor networks is still in its infancy. This paper presents a novel packet delivery mechanism, namely Multiple Level Stateless Protocol (MLSP), as a real time protocol for sensor networks to guarantee the quality of traffic in wireless Sensor Networks. MLSP improves the packet loss rate and handles holes in sensor networks. This paper also introduces the k-limited polling model. This model is used in a sensor network by the implementation of two queues served according to a 2-limited polling model in a sensor node. Here, two different classes of traffic are considered and the exact packet delay for each corresponding class is calculated. The analytical results are validated through an extensive simulation study.