Intermittent Opportunistic Routing Components for the INET Framework

TL;DR

This paper proposes modular interfaces for MAC, routing, and discovery protocols to facilitate the development and comparison of opportunistic routing components in intermittently-powered wireless sensor networks, addressing their dynamic energy interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a modular framework with standardized interfaces for opportunistic routing components tailored for energy-harvesting WSNs, enabling better interoperability and comparison.

Findings

Defined module interfaces for MAC, routing, and discovery protocols.

Implemented candidate protocols within the proposed framework.

Facilitated protocol comparison in dynamic energy scenarios.

Abstract

Intermittently-powered wireless sensor networks (WSNs) use energy harvesting and small energy storage to remove the need for battery replacement and to extend the operational lifetime. However, an intermittently-powered forwarder regularly turns on or off, which requires alternative networking solutions. Opportunistic routing (OR) is a potential cross-layer solution for this novel application, but due to the interaction with the energy storage, the operation of these protocols is highly dynamic. To compare protocols and components in like-for-like scenarios we propose module interfaces for MAC, routing and discovery protocols, that enable clear separation of concerns and good interchangeability. We also suggest some candidates for each of the protocols based on our own implementation and research.