Performance Analysis and Improvement of WPAN MAC for Home Networks

The wireless personal area network (WPAN) is an emerging wireless technology for future short range indoor and outdoor communication applications. The IEEE 802.15.3 medium access control (MAC) is proposed to coordinate the access to the wireless medium among the competing devices, especially for short range and high data rate applications in home networks. In this paper we use analytical modeling to study the performance analysis of WPAN (IEEE 802.15.3) MAC in terms of throughput, efficient bandwidth utilization, and delay with various ACK policies under error channel condition. This allows us to introduce a K-Dly-ACK-AGG policy, payload size adjustment mechanism, and Improved Backoff algorithm to improve the performance of the WPAN MAC. Performance evaluation results demonstrate the impact of our improvements on network capacity. Moreover, these results can be very useful to WPAN application designers and protocol architects to easily and correctly implement WPAN for home networking

A Smart Game for Data Transmission and Energy Consumption in the Internet of Things

The current trend in developing smart technology for the Internet of Things (IoT) has motivated a lot of research interest in optimizing data transmission or minimizing energy consumption, but with little evidence of proposals for achieving both objectives in a single model. Using the concept of game theory, we develop a new MAC protocol for IEEE 802.15.4 and IoT networks in which we formulate a novel expression for the players' utility function and establish a stable Nash equilibrium (NE) for the game. The proposed IEEE 802.15.4 MAC protocol is modeled as a smart game in which analytical expressions are derived for channel access probability, data transmission probability, and energy used. These analytical expressions are used in formulating an optimization problem (OP) that maximizes data transmission and minimizes energy consumption by nodes. The analysis and simulation results suggest that the proposed scheme is scalable and achieves better performance in terms of data transmission, energy-efficiency, and longevity, when compared with the default IEEE 802.15.4 access mechanism.Peer reviewe

A critical analysis of research potential, challenges and future directives in industrial wireless sensor networks

In recent years, Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSNs) have emerged as an important research theme with applications spanning a wide range of industries including automation, monitoring, process control, feedback systems and automotive. Wide scope of IWSNs applications ranging from small production units, large oil and gas industries to nuclear fission control, enables a fast-paced research in this field. Though IWSNs offer advantages of low cost, flexibility, scalability, self-healing, easy deployment and reformation, yet they pose certain limitations on available potential and introduce challenges on multiple fronts due to their susceptibility to highly complex and uncertain industrial environments. In this paper a detailed discussion on design objectives, challenges and solutions, for IWSNs, are presented. A careful evaluation of industrial systems, deadlines and possible hazards in industrial atmosphere are discussed. The paper also presents a thorough review of the existing standards and industrial protocols and gives a critical evaluation of potential of these standards and protocols along with a detailed discussion on available hardware platforms, specific industrial energy harvesting techniques and their capabilities. The paper lists main service providers for IWSNs solutions and gives insight of future trends and research gaps in the field of IWSNs

Efficient GTS Allocation Schemes for IEEE 802.15.4

IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard defined for wireless sensor network applications with limited power and relaxed throughput needs. The devices transmit data during two periods: Contention Access Period (CAP) by accessing the channel using CSMA/CA and Contention Free Period (CFP), which consists of Guaranteed Time Slots (GTS) allocated to individual devices by the network coordinator. The GTS is used by devices for cyclic data transmission and the coordinator can allocate GTS to a maximum of only seven devices. In this work, we have proposed two algorithms for an efficient GTS allocation. The first algorithm is focused on improving the bandwidth utilization of devices, while the second algorithm uses traffic arrival information of devices to allow sharing of GTS slots between more than seven devices. The proposed schemes were tested through simulations and the results show that the new GTS allocation schemes perform better than the original IEEE 802.15.4 standard

A Survey on Wireless Security: Technical Challenges, Recent Advances and Future Trends

This paper examines the security vulnerabilities and threats imposed by the inherent open nature of wireless communications and to devise efficient defense mechanisms for improving the wireless network security. We first summarize the security requirements of wireless networks, including their authenticity, confidentiality, integrity and availability issues. Next, a comprehensive overview of security attacks encountered in wireless networks is presented in view of the network protocol architecture, where the potential security threats are discussed at each protocol layer. We also provide a survey of the existing security protocols and algorithms that are adopted in the existing wireless network standards, such as the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and the long-term evolution (LTE) systems. Then, we discuss the state-of-the-art in physical-layer security, which is an emerging technique of securing the open communications environment against eavesdropping attacks at the physical layer. We also introduce the family of various jamming attacks and their counter-measures, including the constant jammer, intermittent jammer, reactive jammer, adaptive jammer and intelligent jammer. Additionally, we discuss the integration of physical-layer security into existing authentication and cryptography mechanisms for further securing wireless networks. Finally, some technical challenges which remain unresolved at the time of writing are summarized and the future trends in wireless security are discussed.Comment: 36 pages. Accepted to Appear in Proceedings of the IEEE, 201

A comprehensive survey of wireless body area networks on PHY, MAC, and network layers solutions

Recent advances in microelectronics and integrated circuits, system-on-chip design, wireless communication and intelligent low-power sensors have allowed the realization of a Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). A WBAN is a collection of low-power, miniaturized, invasive/non-invasive lightweight wireless sensor nodes that monitor the human body functions and the surrounding environment. In addition, it supports a number of innovative and interesting applications such as ubiquitous healthcare, entertainment, interactive gaming, and military applications. In this paper, the fundamental mechanisms of WBAN including architecture and topology, wireless implant communication, low-power Medium Access Control (MAC) and routing protocols are reviewed. A comprehensive study of the proposed technologies for WBAN at Physical (PHY), MAC, and Network layers is presented and many useful solutions are discussed for each layer. Finally, numerous WBAN applications are highlighted

Tuning Hyperparameters for DNA-based Discrimination of Wireless Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) is enabled by Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) devices. However, these devices increase vulnerability concerns of the IIoT and resultant Critical Infrastructure (CI) risks. Secure IIoT is enabled by both pre-attack security and post-attack forensic analysis. Radio Frequency (RF) Fingerprinting enables both pre- and post-attack security by providing serial-number level identification of devices through fingerprint characterization of their emissions. For classification and verification, research has shown high performance by employing the neural network-based Generalized Relevance Learning Vector Quantization-Improved (GRLVQI) classifier. However, GRLVQI has numerous hyperparameters and tuning requires AI expertise, thus some researchers have abandoned GRLVQI for notionally simpler, but less accurate, methods. Herein, we develop a fool-proof approach for tuning AI algorithms. For demonstration, Z-Wave, an insecure low-power/cost WPAN technology, and the GRLVQI classifier are considered. Results show significant increases in accuracy (5% for classification, 50% verification) over baseline methods

Performance enhancements for single hop and multi-hop meshed high data rate wireless personal area networks

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The High Data Rate (HDR) Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) typically have a limited operating range and are intended to support demanding multi-media applications at high data rates. In order to extend the communication range, HDR WPANs can operate in a wireless mesh configuration (i.e. enable multiple WPAN clusters) to communicate in a multi-hop fashion. HDR WPANs face several research challenges and some of the open key issues are limited capacity, optimum resource allocation to requesting devices and maintaining Quality of Service (QoS) for real time multimedia flows. Although, there have been some scheduling algorithms proposed for HDR WPANs, the main objective is to maintain the QoS in most cases whereas efficient and fair utilization of network capacity is still largely open for research. This thesis mainly intends to resolve the issues related to capacity of HDR WPANs such as admission control, fair allocation of Channel Time Allocations (CTAs), improvement in capacity through transmission power control, and efficient utilization of time by each flow. A technique which re-orders the time slots to reduce queuing delay for meshed WPANs is also proposed and evaluated. The first contribution aims to improve peer-to-peer connectivity in case of two or more independent piconet devices by proposing an inter-PAN communication framework that is augmented by an admission control strategy to handle the cases when the superframe capacity is congested. The queued devices are prioritized by proposing a parameter called the Rejection Ratio. The second contribution consists of a resource allocation framework for meshed WPANs. The main objectives are to reduce the control traffic due to high volume of channel time reservation requests and introduce an element of fairness in the channel time allocated to requesting devices. The objectives are achieved by using traffic prediction techniques and an estimated backoff procedure to reduce control traffic, and define different policies based on offered traffic for fair allocation of channel time. The centralized scheme uses traffic prediction techniques to use the proposed concept of bulk reservations. Based on the bulk reservations and resource allocation policies, the overall overhead is reduced while an element of fairness is shown to be maintained for certain scenarios. In the third contribution, the concepts of Time Efficiency and CTA switching are introduced to improve communication efficiency and utilization of superframe capacity in meshed WPANs. Two metrics known as Switched Time Slot (STS) and Switched Time Slot with Re-ordering (STS-R) are proposed which aim to achieve the purpose. The final contribution proposes and evaluates a technique called CTA overlappnig to improve capacity in single hop and meshed WPANs using tramission power control. Extensive simulation studies are performed to analyze and to evaluate the proposed techniques. Simulation results demonstrate significant improvements in meshed WPANs performance in terms of capacity utilization, improvement in fairness index for CTA allocation by upto 62% in some cases, reduction in control traffic overhead by upto 70% and reduction in delay for real time flows by more than 10% in some cases

Improvement of strength and water absorption of Interlocking Compressed Earth Bricks (ICEB) with addition of Ureolytic Bacteria (UB)

Interlocking Compressed Earth Brick (ICEB) are cement stabilized soil bricks that allow for dry stacked construction. This characteristic resulted to faster the process of building walls and requires less skilled labour as the bricks are laid dry and lock into place. However there is plenty room for improving the interlocking bricks by increase its durability. Many studies have been conducted in order to improve the durability of bricks by using environmentally method. One of the methods is by introducing bacteria into bricks. Bacteria in brick induced calcite precipitation (calcite crystals) to cover the voids continuously. Ureolytic Bacteria (UB) was used in this study as a partial replacement of limestone water with percentage of 1%, 3% and 5%. Enrichment process was done in soil condition to ensure the survivability of UB in ICEB environment. This paper evaluates the effect of UB in improving the strength and water absorption properties of ICEB and microstructure analysis. The results show that addition of 5% UB in ICEB indicated positive results in improving the ICEB properties by 15.25% in strength, 14.72% in initial water absorption and 14.68% reduction in water absorption. Precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCo3) in form of calcite can be distinguish clearly in microstructure analysis

Implementation of Energy Efficiency Based on Time Scheduling to Improve Network Lifetime in Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN)

ZigBee applications of IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) with Low Rate Wireless Personal Area Network (LR-WPAN) can be integrated with e-health technology Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). WBAN are small size and can communicate quickly making it easier for people to obtain information accurately.WBAN has a variety of functions that can help human life. It can be used in the e-health, military and sports. WBAN has the potential to be the future of wireless communication solutions. WBAN use battery as its primary power source. WBAN has limited energy and must be able to save energy consumption in order to operate for a long time. In this study, we propose a method of time scheduling called cycle sleep period (CSP) as WBAN solutions to save energy and improve energy efficiency. The CSP method is implemented in the real hardware testbed using sensor e-health includes temperature body and current sensor. We compared the performance of CSP method with duty cycle management (DCM) time scheduling-based and without using time scheduling.From the measurement results, our proposed idea has decreasingenergy consumption.Keywords: WSN, LR-WPAN, WBAN, e-health, Time Schedulin