Low-Traffic Aware Hybrid MAC (LTH-MAC) Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

This paper proposes LTH-MAC (Low-Traffic Aware Hybrid MAC), a novel MAC protocol designed to improve energy efficiency and message delivery reliability in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). LTH-MAC achieves this through innovative techniques like flexible timeslots, channel selection, collision-avoiding, parallel transmissions, and efficient backoff schemes. These optimizations lead to reduced idle listening, minimized collisions, and simplified synchronization. Simulations using OPNET environment demonstrate that LTH-MAC significantly reduces energy consumption, especially under light traffic loads. Additionally, LTH-MAC provides lower end-to-end latency and higher message delivery reliability compared to ECoMAC. These advancements position LTH-MAC as a compelling solution for WSN applications demanding efficient and reliable communication.