Multi-channel Medium Access Control Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

Extensive researches on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have beenperformed and many techniques have been developed for the data link (MAC) layer.Most of them assume single-channel MAC protocols. In the usual dense deploymentof the sensor networks, single-channel MAC protocols may be deficient because ofradio collisions and limited bandwidth. Hence, using multiple channels cansignificantly improve the performance of WSN. Recent developments in sensortechnology, as seen in Crossbow’s MICAz Mote, Rockwell’s WINS nodes and IEEE802.15.4 Zigbee, have enabled support for multi-channel communications. Severalmulti-channel MAC protocols with different objectives have been proposed forWSNs in literature. This paper surveys and classifies the state-of-the-art multichannelMAC protocols that are proposed for WSNs. It first outlines the sensornetwork properties that are crucial for designing a MAC protocol. It subsequentlyreviews the existent challenges to design a good multi-channel MAC protocol for thesensor networks. Then, several multi-channel MAC protocols specifically proposedfor the WSNs are inspected in detail and compared with each other. Finally, someopen issues in this area are outlined for future research.

Multi-channel Medium Access Control Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey Keywords:

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) , Medium Access Control (MAC) , Multi Channel