Escalator: An Autonomous Scheduling Scheme for Convergecast in TSCH

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Networking
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) is crucial for reliable and energy-efficient industrial wireless sensor networks.
• Existing autonomous scheduling schemes lack consideration for network traffic and packet forwarding delays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose Escalator, an autonomous scheduling scheme for convergecast in TSCH networks using RPL.
• To minimize packet transmission delay by generating consecutive timeslot schedules along the forwarding path.

Main Methods:

• Escalator generates schedules autonomously using only local routing topology information.
• The scheme ensures conflict-free transmission for all nodes to the sink within each slotframe cycle.
• Performance evaluation through testbed implementation and simulation against existing schemes.

Main Results:

• Escalator achieves lower end-to-end delay compared to existing autonomous scheduling schemes.
• The proposed scheme demonstrates a higher packet delivery ratio.
• Performance benefits are consistent across various network topologies.

Conclusions:

• Escalator effectively reduces packet delay and enhances reliability in TSCH convergecast scenarios.
• Autonomous scheduling based on local topology information is a viable approach for TSCH network optimization.
• The proposed scheme offers a practical solution for improving industrial wireless sensor network performance.