A Novel Approach for Enhanced Network Formation in 6TiSCH-based IoT Low-Power and Lossy Networks

Abstract

The Internet of Things – Low-Power and Lossy Networks (IoT-LLN) can operate with low power consumption and support reliable communication even in noisy and congested environments. Minimal 6TiSCH Configuration (6TiSCH-MC) and Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) protocols bootstrap the IoT-LLN with minimum resources. The 6TiSCH and RPL protocols transmit different control messages for network bootstrapping and maintenance. The 6TiSCH-MC allows only a single minimal cell in each slotframe for transferring and receiving control messages. All network-associated nodes transmit their control messages simultaneously, using the same channel, which leads to collisions. Due to these control message collisions, new nodes waiting to associate with the network are not receiving the required control messages. It delays network formation, and nodes consume more energy. This research work proposes Two Minimal Cells with Dynamic ChannelOffset (TMDC) to overcome the bootstrapping issue of the 6TiSCH-MC. The TMDC increases the minimal cell count to two and provides mutual synchronization between parent and child nodes for transmitting and receiving control messages. The Contiki-NG's COOJA simulator was used for extensive simulation analysis. The TMDC bootstraps networks quicker with less energy and associates more nodes into the network than the 6TiSCH-MC.

Keywords:

• 6TiSCH
• Control messages
• DODAG
• Enhanced Beacon
• Internet of Things
• LLN
• Network formation
• RPL

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. Jagir Hussain

S Jagir Hussain received BE degree in electronics and communication engineering from Anna University, Chennai, India in 2006 and MTech degree in communication systems from B S Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Technology, Chennai, India in 2012. He is currently pursuing PhD at the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, SRM Institute of Technology, Ramapuram, Chennai, India. He is Member of IETE, New Delhi. His current research focuses on internet of things, wireless sensor network, and mobile ad hoc network. Email: [email protected]

M. Roopa

M Roopa received the PhD from Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, India. She is currently working as associate professor in SRM Institute of Science and Technology. She is Fellow member of IETE, New Delhi. Her research area of interest includes wireless communication, mobile ad hoc network, and wireless networks. She has published several papers in high impact journals. Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]