Decentralized Synchronization for Zigbee wireless sensor networks in Multi-Hop Topology

The most effective solution for energy saving in low-rate wireless sensor networks is maintaining each node in a doze state as long as possible. In order to guarantee network connectivity, the intervals at which the network sensors are turned on and off have to be coordinated. We analyze the Zigbee MAC performance in sensor networks deployed in multi-hop topologies. For this networks, critical inefficiencies can arise due to transmissions performed by hidden nodes. We evaluate the impact of different synchronization schemes on the network performance, both in terms of network capacity and in terms of energy consumption. We show how the synchronization function can be opportunistically configured in order to emulate a token-like access mechanism, able to significantly improve the network performance.