Multipath QoS-driven routing protocol for industrial wireless networks

The Industry 4.0 concept targets the interconnection and computerization of traditional industries to improve their adaptability and utilize efficiently their resources. Industrial wireless networks will play a key role within the Industry 4.0 as they will facilitate the deployment of novel industrial applications thanks to the flexible and reconfigurable wireless connection of industrial devices. Significant advances are still necessary to enable the deployment of reliable industrial wireless networks capable to guarantee the strict QoS (Quality of Service) requirements of industrial applications in harsh propagation conditions. This paper contributes towards this objective with a novel multipath routing protocol that identifies and establishes the necessary redundant routes between any pair of nodes of a wireless network in order to satisfy the reliability and delay QoS levels demanded by industrial applications. The proposed protocol is here presented and analyzed under the framework of the WirelessHART standard given its important industrial adoption. However, it can also be adapted to other centralized TDMA-based multi-hop wireless networks.