Performance Analysis of a Distributed 6LoWPAN Network for the Smart Grid Applications

The Smart Grid communication networks need to serve a large number of devices distributed over a wide geographical area. The Smart Grid devices will generate different classes of traffic with varying Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. One of the key problems in a wide area network is the cost-effective connectivity to all devices which may be operating in an energy-constrained environment. In this paper, we propose a cluster-tree based 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks) network for the Neighborhood Area Network (NAN) applications. To maximize the throughput and to minimize the packet latency in the NAN, we propose a staggered link design approach to support a beacon based 6LoWPAN distributed network architecture. An OPNET simulation model has been developed to analyze the performance of a NAN for smart meter and demand management data communications. Initial simulation results show that this staggered link design approach combined with a packet aggregation technique can significantly enhance the performance of a NAN.