Dependable Source Routing Scheme for Multi-Hop Networks Based on Receiver-Initiated MAC Protocol

In this paper, we propose a dependable source routing scheme for multi-hop networks based on the receiver-initiated media access control (MAC) protocol. In the proposed scheme, multiple candidates of relay terminals can be loaded in routing information, so the route is not specified uniquely. The following two effects are expected to the proposed scheme. The first is the improvement of communication reliability by avoiding disturbed link. Second is the improvement of the delay and current consumption by shortening the waiting time for communication timings. To show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, we conduct computer simulations that suppose a multi-hop network based on the feathery receiver-initiated transmission (F-RIT) protocol in stable channel conditions. In the evaluation, the data are collected by polling communications, and the proposed scheme is applied to downlink communications. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme that improves the delay by up to 41.3% and current consumption by up to 13.5% under a specific condition for the evaluation.