Energy-Aware Reliable Medium Access Control Protocol for Energy-Efficient and Reliable Data Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) can be considered as a self-organizing system that might be a good alternative to wired systems due to their ease of deployment in distant places. The primary goal of this project is to develop an energy-efficient, extensible, and dependable communication protocol for intra-cluster and inter-cluster communication. Initially, the given geographical area is divided into clusters and the leader nodes for all the clusters are selected based on some criteria. Following the cluster formation phase, data sensing and data communication begin within the cluster for both periodic and non-periodic data using the proposed Energy-Aware Reliable MAC (EARMAC) Protocol. The proposed EARMAC protocol follows a hybrid method of data sensing that combines the advantages of both the techniques of CSMA/CA and variable TDMA approaches. Suitable MAC protocols are chosen for effective data sensing. The data sensed by the members within the clusters are passed to the aggregating node namely the leader node which helps in avoiding redundancy and helps in power savings. Finally, the data from the leader nodes are to be sent to the destination node using appropriate multi-hop communication. A number of leader nodes in various clusters are used in the intermediate process and help in transporting the data to the destination. Proper method of data acknowledgements and queue thresholds are used in ensuring data reliability and to avoid excessive control overhead. Queue thresholds also serve as a congestion delimiter contributing to reliability. The proposed MAC is efficient for sensing periodic data and event-based data. The proposed EARMAC uses the concept of queue threshold levels to avoid data redundancy. Effective data sensing is achieved by setting priority levels using priority queues which also helps in avoiding congestion. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.