A Flexible Analytical Markov Model for the IEEE 802.15.4 Unslotted Mechanism in Single-Hop Hierarchical Wireless Networks with Hidden Nodes

• Published in: Wireless personal communications Vol. 72; no. 4; pp. 2389 - 2424
• Main Authors: Samaras, Ioakeim K., Hassapis, George D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.10.2013; Springer
• Subjects: Access methods and protocols, osi model; Accuracy; Applied sciences; Communications Engineering; Computer Communication Networks; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer systems and distributed systems. User interface; Engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Networks; Radiocommunications; Signal,Image and Speech Processing; Software; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Teletraffic; IEEE 802.15.4; Markov chains; Hidden node; M/G/1 queue; Multiplexing; Computer simulation; M G 1 queue; Saturation; Transmission protocol; Markov model; Distributed system; Modeling; Local network; Markov chain; Absolute error; Carrier sense multiple access; Wireless network; Mean error; Hierarchical system; Collision avoidance; Simulator; Transmission error
• ISSN: 0929-6212; 1572-834X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11277-013-1155-3

In this paper, an analytical Markov model (AMM) for the IEEE 802.15.4 unslotted CSMA/CA mechanism in single-hop hierarchical wireless networks (HWN) with hidden nodes is presented. The proposed AMM is flexible enough to operate both in saturation and non-saturation regions. Its prediction accuracy was compared with that of two well known models in the literature as well as with simulation results obtained by using the network simulator (NS)-2. The comparison has indicated that when , which denotes the maximum frame retransmission attempts, is set to zero and one-tier single-hop HWN with no hidden nodes is considered, the proposed AMM predicts the simulation results with a very small mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Similarly, when a single-hop HWN with two tiers and hidden nodes is considered, then only one of the two well known models is applicable and the proposed AMM predictions present the smallest MAPE over the simulation results. Lastly, in the case of four-tier single-hop HWN with hidden nodes, only the proposed AMM is applicable and it predicts the simulation results at a respectable level of accuracy. When and the unslotted mechanism continues by incrementing the number of retransmission attempt by one upon channel access failure events, only the proposed AMM can imitate the behavior of the NS-2 IEEE 802.15.4 module.