Analysis of an Energy-Efficient MAC Protocol Based on Polling for IEEE 802.11 WLAN

This paper analyzes the performance of a duty-cycled polling-based access mechanism that exploits the Transmission Opportunity Power Save Mode (TXOP PSM) defined in the IEEE 802.11ac to improve the energy efficiency of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) based on the IEEE 802.11. The basic idea behind the proposed approach, named GreenPoll, is to enable contention free periods, based on polling with beacons, during which wireless stations can save energy by turning off their radio transceivers after exchanging data with the access point. The closed expression of energy efficiency of GreenPoll is formulated in this paper and is used to evaluate the performance of GreenPoll considering important parameters like the traffic load, packet length, data rate, and number of stations in the network. Both analytical and simulation results show the high energy efficiency of GreenPoll with gains of up to 330% and 110% when compared to the legacy Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) and the Point Coordination Function (PCF) defined in the IEEE 802.11, respectively

Goodbye, ALOHA!

©2016 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.The vision of the Internet of Things (IoT) to interconnect and Internet-connect everyday people, objects, and machines poses new challenges in the design of wireless communication networks. The design of medium access control (MAC) protocols has been traditionally an intense area of research due to their high impact on the overall performance of wireless communications. The majority of research activities in this field deal with different variations of protocols somehow based on ALOHA, either with or without listen before talk, i.e., carrier sensing multiple access. These protocols operate well under low traffic loads and low number of simultaneous devices. However, they suffer from congestion as the traffic load and the number of devices increase. For this reason, unless revisited, the MAC layer can become a bottleneck for the success of the IoT. In this paper, we provide an overview of the existing MAC solutions for the IoT, describing current limitations and envisioned challenges for the near future. Motivated by those, we identify a family of simple algorithms based on distributed queueing (DQ), which can operate for an infinite number of devices generating any traffic load and pattern. A description of the DQ mechanism is provided and most relevant existing studies of DQ applied in different scenarios are described in this paper. In addition, we provide a novel performance evaluation of DQ when applied for the IoT. Finally, a description of the very first demo of DQ for its use in the IoT is also included in this paper.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Polling-Based Downlink Communication Protocol for LoRaWAN using Traffic Indication

학위논문 (석사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 공과대학 컴퓨터공학부, 2019. 2. 김종권.LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) technologies such as LoRa and SigFox are emerging as a technology of choice for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications where tens of thousands of untethered devices are deployed over a wide area. In such operating environments, energy conservation is one of the most crucial concerns and network protocols adopt various power saving schemes to lengthen device lifetimes. For example, to avoid idle listening, LoRaWAN restricts downlink communications. However, the confined design philosophy impedes the deployment of IoT applications that require asynchronous downlink communications. In this thesis, we design and implement an energy efficient downlink communication mechanism, named TRILO, for LoRaWAN. We aim to make TRILO be energy efficient while obeying an unavoidable trade-off that balances between latency and energy consumption. TRILO adopts a beacon mechanism that periodically alerts end-devices which have pending downlink frames. We implement the proposed protocol on top of commercially available LoRaWAN components and confirm that the protocol operates properly in real-world experiments. Experimental results show that TRILO successfully transmits downlink frames without losses while uplink traffic suffers from a slight increase in latency because uplink transmissions should halt during beacons and downlink transmissions. Computer simulation results also show that the proposed scheme is more energy efficient than the legacy LoRaWAN downlink protocol.전력 공급이 제한적인 수 만개의 디바이스들을 이용하여 넓은 지역을 바탕으로 운영되는 사물인터넷 시스템을 구축하는 데에 있어서 LoRa, SigFox와 같은 저전력 광역 네트워크 기술(LPWA)이 주목받고 있다. 이러한 시스템 환경에서 에너지 절약은 중요한 관심사 중 하나이며 네트워크 프로토콜들은 다양한 절전 방식을 채택하여 디바이스의 수명을 보장하려 하고 있다. 예를 들어, 불필요한 대기 청취로 인한 에너지 손실을 방지하기 위해서 LoRaWAN은 다운링크 통신을 제한하고 있는데, 이러한 설계 철학은 비동기적인 다운링크 통신을 필요로 하는 IoT 애플리케이션의 요구 사항을 충족시키지 못하는 문제점을 가지고 있다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 LoRaWAN에서 다운링크를 효과적으로 컨트롤할 수 있도록 TRILO라는 에너지 효율적인 다운링크 통신 메커니즘을 설계하고 구현하였다. TRILO는 다운링크 프레임이 팬딩되어 있는 엔드 디바이스들의 리스트 정보를 주기적으로 네트워크에 알리는 비콘 메커니즘을 채택하였고, 서버와 디바이스들이 각각 정해진 순서에 따라 다운링크 전송 및 수신을 스케줄링하도록 하였다. 설계한 프로토콜이 제대로 동작하는지 검증하기 위해서 기존 LoRaWAN의 구성 요소 위에 제안된 프로토콜을 구현한 후 실제 테스트 베드를 구축하여서 실험을 진행하였다. 실험 결과에 따르면 TRILO는 기존 프로토콜의 업링크 통신 성능을 저해하지 않으면서도 추가적인 다운링크 프레임을 손실 없이 성공적으로 전송 및 수신하였고, 컴퓨터 시뮬레이션 결과 또한 제안된 기법이 기존의 LoRaWAN 다운링크 프로토콜보다 더 에너지 효율적으로 동작하는 것을 보여주었다.ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... ⅰ CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... ⅲ LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................ ⅳ LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................. ⅵ CHAPTER Ⅰ: Introduction ................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER Ⅱ: Related Work ............................................................................. 8 CHAPTER Ⅲ: A Primer on LoRa and LoRaWAN .................................. 11 CHAPTER Ⅳ: Downlink Communications Scheme .................................. 17 4.1 Comparison of Two Polling Schemes ..................................... 19 4.2 Proposed Downlink Communications Scheme ....................... 26 CHAPTER Ⅴ: Implementation ........................................................................ 28 CHAPTER Ⅵ: Evaluation ................................................................................. 31 6.1 Experimental Results .................................................................... 32 6.2 Simulation Results ......................................................................... 37 CHAPTER Ⅶ: Discussion ................................................................................. 42 CHAPTER Ⅷ: Conclusion ................................................................................. 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 47 초록 ........................................................................................................................... 51Maste

Contributions to QoS and energy efficiency in wi-fi networks

The Wi-Fi technology has been in the recent years fostering the proliferation of attractive mobile computing devices with broadband capabilities. Current Wi-Fi radios though severely impact the battery duration of these devices thus limiting their potential applications. In this thesis we present a set of contributions that address the challenge of increasing energy efficiency in Wi-Fi networks. In particular, we consider the problem of how to optimize the trade-off between performance and energy effciency in a wide variety of use cases and applications. In this context, we introduce novel energy effcient algorithms for real-time and data applications, for distributed and centralized Wi-Fi QoS and power saving protocols and for Wi-Fi stations and Access Points. In addition, the di¿erent algorithms presented in this thesis adhere to the following design guidelines: i) they are implemented entirely at layer two, and can hence be easily re-used in any device with a Wi-Fi interface, ii) they do not require modi¿cations to current 802.11 standards, and can hence be readily deployed in existing Wi-Fi devices, and iii) whenever possible they favor client side solutions, and hence mobile computing devices implementing them can benefit from an increased energy efficiency regardless of the Access Point they connect to. Each of our proposed algorithms is thoroughly evaluated by means of both theoretical analysis and packet level simulations. Thus, the contributions presented in this thesis provide a realistic set of tools to improve energy efficiency in current Wi-Fi networks

Contributions to IEEE 802.11-based long range communications

The most essential part of the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure is the wireless communication system that acts as a bridge for the delivery of data and control messages between the connected things and the Internet. Since the conception of the IoT, a large number of promising applications and technologies have been developed, which will change different aspects in our daily life. However, the existing wireless technologies lack the ability to support a huge amount of data exchange from many battery-driven devices, spread over a wide area. In order to support the IoT paradigm, IEEE 802.11ah is an Internet of Things enabling technology, where the efficient management of thousands of devices is a key function. This is one of the most promising and appealing standards, which aims to bridge the gap between traditional mobile networks and the demands of the IoT. To this aim, IEEE 802.11ah provides the Restricted Access Window (RAW) mechanism, which reduces contention by enabling transmissions for small groups of stations. Optimal grouping of RAW stations requires an evaluation of many possible configurations. In this thesis, we first discuss the main PHY and MAC layer amendments proposed for IEEE 802.11ah. Furthermore, we investigate the operability of IEEE 802.11ah as a backhaul link to connect devices over possibly long distances. Additionally, we compare the aforementioned standard with previous notable IEEE 802.11 amendments (i.e. IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11ac) in terms of throughput (with and without frame aggregation) by utilizing the most robust modulation schemes. The results show an improved performance of IEEE 802.11ah (in terms of power received at long range while experiencing different packet error rates) as compared to previous IEEE 802.11 standards. Additionally, we expose the capabilities of future IEEE 802.11ah in supporting different IoT applications. In addition, we provide a brief overview of the technology contenders that are competing to cover the IoT communications framework. Numerical results are presented showing how the future IEEE 802.11ah specification offers the features required by IoT communications, thus putting forward IEEE 802.11ah as a technology to cater the needs of the Internet of Things paradigm. Finally, we propose an analytical model (named e-model) that provides an evaluation of the RAW onfiguration performance, allowing a fast adaptation of RAW grouping policies, in accordance to varying channel conditions. We base the e-model in known saturation models, which we adapted to include the IEEE 802.11ah’s PHY and MAC layer modifications and to support different bit rate and packet sizes. As a proof of concept, we use the proposed model to compare the performance of different grouping strategies,showing that the e-model is a useful analysis tool in RAW-enabled scenarios. We validate the model with existing IEEE 802.11ah implementation for ns-3.La clave del concepto Internet de las cosas (IoT) es que utiliza un sistema de comunicación inalámbrica, el cual actúa como puente para la entrega de datos y mensajes de control entre las "cosas" conectadas y el Internet. Desde la concepción del IoT, se han desarrollado gran cantidad de aplicaciones y tecnologías prometedoras que cambiarán distintos aspectos de nuestra vida diaria.Sin embargo, las tecnologías de redes computacionales inalámbricas existentes carecen de la capacidad de soportar las características del IoT, como las grandes cantidades de envío y recepción de datos desde múltiples dispositivos distribuidos en un área amplia, donde los dispositivos IoT funcionan con baterías. Para respaldar el paradigma del IoT, IEEE 802.11ah, la cual es una tecnología habilitadora del Internet de las cosas, para el cual la gestión eficiente de miles de dispositivos es una función clave. IEEE 802.11ah es uno de los estándares más prometedores y atractivos, desde su concepción orientada para IoT, su objetivo principal es cerrar la brecha entre las redes móviles tradicionales y la demandada por el IoT. Con este objetivo en mente, IEEE 802.11ah incluye entre sus características especificas el mecanismo de ventana de acceso restringido (RAW, por sus siglas en ingles), el cual define un nuevo período de acceso al canal libre de contención, reduciendo la misma al permitir transmisiones para pequeños grupos de estaciones. Nótese que para obtener una agrupación óptima de estaciones RAW, se requiere una evaluación de las distintas configuraciones posibles. En esta tesis, primero discutimos las principales mejoras de las capas PHY y MAC propuestas para IEEE 802.11ah. Además, investigamos la operatividad de IEEE 802.11ah como enlace de backhaul para conectar dispositivos a distancias largas. También, comparamos el estándar antes mencionado con las notables especificaciones IEEE 802.11 anteriores (es decir, IEEE 802.11n y IEEE 802.11ac), en términos de rendimiento (incluyendo y excluyendo la agregación de tramas de datos) y utilizando los esquemas de modulación más robustos. Los resultados muestran mejores resultados en cuanto al rendimiento de IEEE 802.11ah (en términos de potencia recibida a largo alcance, mientras se experimentan diferentes tasas de error de paquetes de datos) en comparación con los estándares IEEE 802.11 anteriores.Además, exponemos las capacidades de IEEE 802.11ah para admitir diferentes aplicaciones de IoT. A su vez, proporcionamos una descripción general de los competidores tecnológicos, los cuales contienden para cubrir el marco de comunicaciones IoT. También se presentan resultados numéricos que muestran cómo la especificación IEEE 802.11ah ofrece las características requeridas por las comunicaciones IoT, presentando así a IEEE 802.11ah como una tecnología que puede satisfacer las necesidades del paradigma de Internet de las cosas.Finalmente, proponemos un modelo analítico (denominado e-model) que proporciona una evaluación del rendimiento utilizando la característica RAW con múltiples configuraciones, el cual permite una rápida adaptación de las políticas de agrupación RAW, de acuerdo con las diferentes condiciones del canal de comunicación. Basamos el e-model en modelos de saturación conocidos, que adaptamos para incluir las modificaciones de la capa MAC y PHY de IEEE 802.11ah y para poder admitir diferentes velocidades de transmisión de datos y tamaños de paquetes. Como prueba de concepto, utilizamos el modelo propuesto para comparar el desempeño de diferentes estrategias de agrupación, mostrando que el e-model es una herramienta de análisis útil en escenarios habilitados para RAW. Cabe mencionar que también validamos el modelo con la implementación IEEE 802.11ah existente para ns-3

Millimeter-wave Wireless LAN and its Extension toward 5G Heterogeneous Networks

Millimeter-wave (mmw) frequency bands, especially 60 GHz unlicensed band, are considered as a promising solution for gigabit short range wireless communication systems. IEEE standard 802.11ad, also known as WiGig, is standardized for the usage of the 60 GHz unlicensed band for wireless local area networks (WLANs). By using this mmw WLAN, multi-Gbps rate can be achieved to support bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications. Exhaustive search along with beamforming (BF) is usually used to overcome 60 GHz channel propagation loss and accomplish data transmissions in such mmw WLANs. Because of its short range transmission with a high susceptibility to path blocking, multiple number of mmw access points (APs) should be used to fully cover a typical target environment for future high capacity multi-Gbps WLANs. Therefore, coordination among mmw APs is highly needed to overcome packet collisions resulting from un-coordinated exhaustive search BF and to increase the total capacity of mmw WLANs. In this paper, we firstly give the current status of mmw WLANs with our developed WiGig AP prototype. Then, we highlight the great need for coordinated transmissions among mmw APs as a key enabler for future high capacity mmw WLANs. Two different types of coordinated mmw WLAN architecture are introduced. One is the distributed antenna type architecture to realize centralized coordination, while the other is an autonomous coordination with the assistance of legacy Wi-Fi signaling. Moreover, two heterogeneous network (HetNet) architectures are also introduced to efficiently extend the coordinated mmw WLANs to be used for future 5th Generation (5G) cellular networks.Comment: 18 pages, 24 figures, accepted, invited paper

Belaidžio ryšio tinklų terpės prieigos valdymo tyrimas

Over the years, consumer requirements for Quality of Service (QoS) has been growing exponentially. Recently, the ratification process of newly IEEE 802.11ad amendment to IEEE 802.11 was finished. The IEEE 802.11ad is the newly con-sumer wireless communication approach, which will gain high spot on the 5G evolution. Major players in wireless market, such as Qualcomm already are inte-grating solutions from unlicensed band, like IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad into their architecture of LTE PRO (the next evolutionary step for 5G networking) (Qualcomm 2013; Parker et al. 2015). As the demand is growing both in enter-prise wireless networking and home consumer markets. Consumers started to no-tice the performance degradation due to overcrowded unlicensed bands. The un-licensed bands such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz are widely used for up-to-date IEEE 802.11n/ac technologies with upcoming IEEE 802.11ax. However, overusage of the available frequency leads to severe interference issue and consequences in to-tal system performance degradation, currently existing wireless medium access method can not sustain the increasing intereference and thus wireless needs a new methods of wireless medium access. The main focal point of this dissertation is to improve wireless performance in dense wireless networks. In dissertation both the conceptual and multi-band wireless medium access methods are considered both from theoretical point of view and experimental usage. The introduction chapter presents the investigated problem and it’s objects of research as well as importance of dissertation and it’s scientific novelty in the unlicensed wireless field. Chapter 1 revises used literature. Existing and up-to-date state-of-the-art so-lution are reviewed, evaluated and key point advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Conclusions are drawn at the end of the chapter. Chapter 2 describes theoretical analysis of wireless medium access protocols and the new wireless medium access method. During analysis theoretical simula-tions are performed. Conclusions are drawn at the end of the chapter. Chapter 3 is focused on the experimental components evaluation for multi-band system, which would be in line with theoretical concept investigations. The experimental results, showed that components of multi-band system can gain sig-nificant performance increase when compared to the existing IEEE 802.11n/ac wireless systems. General conclusions are drawn after analysis of measurement results

Real-time wireless networks for industrial control systems

The next generation of industrial systems (Industry 4.0) will dramatically transform manyproductive sectors, integrating emerging concepts such as Internet of Things, artificialintelligence, big data, cloud robotics and virtual reality, to name a few. Most of thesetechnologies heavily rely on the availability of communication networks able to offernearly–istantaneous, secure and reliable data transfer. In the industrial sector, these tasks are nowadays mainly accomplished by wired networks, that combine the speed ofoptical fiber media with collision–free switching technology. However, driven by the pervasive deployment of mobile devices for personal com-munications in the last years, more and more industrial applications require wireless connectivity, which can bring enormous advantages in terms of cost reduction and flex-ibility. Designing timely, reliable and deterministic industrial wireless networks is a complicated task, due to the nature of the wireless channel, intrinsically error–prone andshared among all the devices transmitting on the same frequency band. In this thesis, several solutions to enhance the performance of wireless networks employed in industrial control applications are proposed. The presented approaches differ in terms of achieved performance and target applications, but they are all characterized by an improvement over existing industrial wireless solutions in terms of timeliness, reliability and determinism. When possible, an experimental validation of the designed solutions is provided. The obtained results prove that significant performance improvements are already possible, often using commercially available devices and preserving compliance to existing standards. Future research efforts, combined with the availability of new chipsets and standards, could lead to a world where wireless links effectively replace most of the existing cables in industrial environments, as it is already the case in the consumer market