CONSIP: Consistency Protocol for Hopping Function Exchange and Black
listing in TSCH
Abstract
The use of white and black listing techniques in Wireless Sensor
Networks (WSN), and in particular those which are based on the Time
Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) operating mode of IEEE 802.15.4, permits
to improve reliability and latency by performing transmissions on the
best channels. Techniques that operate on a per-link basis are deemed
quite effective, but proper operation requires that the two end points
involved in the communication agree on the channels to be used for
transmission. On the contrary, communication in the network can be
prevented, eventually leading, in the worst cases, to the disconnection
of part of the nodes.
This paper presents CONSIP, a technique aimed to ensure strict
consistency in the information exchanged between the nodes and used to
drive communication, by preventing a prior the aforementioned problem
from occurring. Results show a slight increase in energy consumption,
due to the use of a backup cell, whereas communication latency does not
worsen. The effectiveness of CONSIP was assessed by means of an
experimental campaign, and the only drawback we found is that the backup
cell, which is required to be reserved per link, may limit the number of
nodes in dense networks.