Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is considered a key enabler for Industry 4.0. Modern wireless industrial protocols such as the IEEE 802.15.4e Time-Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) deliver high reliability to fulfill the requirements in IIoT by following strict schedules computed in a Scheduli...
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/5/1593 |
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| author | Ismael Amezcua Valdovinos Patricia Elizabeth Figueroa Millán Jesús Arturo Pérez-Díaz Cesar Vargas-Rosales |
| author_facet | Ismael Amezcua Valdovinos Patricia Elizabeth Figueroa Millán Jesús Arturo Pérez-Díaz Cesar Vargas-Rosales |
| author_sort | Ismael Amezcua Valdovinos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is considered a key enabler for Industry 4.0. Modern wireless industrial protocols such as the IEEE 802.15.4e Time-Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) deliver high reliability to fulfill the requirements in IIoT by following strict schedules computed in a Scheduling Function (SF) to avoid collisions and to provide determinism. The standard does not define how such schedules are built. The SF plays an essential role in 6TiSCH networks since it dictates when and where the nodes are communicating according to the application requirements, thus directly influencing the reliability of the network. Moreover, typical industrial environments consist of heavy machinery and complementary wireless communication systems that can create interference. Hence, we propose a distributed SF, namely the Channel Ranking Scheduling Function (CRSF), for IIoT networks supporting IPv6 over the IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH mode. CRSF computes the number of cells required for each node using a buffer-based bandwidth allocation mechanism with a Kalman filtering technique to avoid sudden allocation/deallocation of cells. CRSF also ranks channel quality using Exponential Weighted Moving Averages (EWMAs) based on the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Background Noise (BN) level measurements, and the Packet Delivery Rate (PDR) metrics to select the best available channel to communicate. We compare the performance of CRSF with Orchestra and the Minimal Scheduling Function (MSF), in scenarios resembling industrial environmental characteristics. Performance is evaluated in terms of PDR, end-to-end latency, Radio Duty Cycle (RDC), and the elapsed time of first packet arrival. Results show that CRSF achieves high PDR and low RDC across all scenarios with periodic and burst traffic patterns at the cost of increased end-to-end latency. Moreover, CRSF delivers the first packet earlier than Orchestra and MSF in all scenarios. We conclude that CRSF is a viable option for IIoT networks with a large number of nodes and interference. The main contributions of our paper are threefold: (i) a bandwidth allocation mechanism that uses Kalman filtering techniques to effectively calculate the number of cells required for a given time, (ii) a channel ranking mechanism that combines metrics such as the PDR, RSSI, and BN to select channels with the best performance, and (iii) a new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that measures the elapsed time from network formation until the first packet reception at the root. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:33:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e3a49cc317a4900836e9f36e9de7819 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:33:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e3a49cc317a4900836e9f36e9de78192023-12-11T18:21:15ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202021-02-01215159310.3390/s21051593Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH NetworksIsmael Amezcua Valdovinos0Patricia Elizabeth Figueroa Millán1Jesús Arturo Pérez-Díaz2Cesar Vargas-Rosales3Facultad de Telemática, Universidad de Colima, PO 28040 Colima, MexicoDivisión de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Tecnológico Nacional de México Campus Colima, PO 28976 Colima, MexicoTecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, PO 76130 Monterrey, MexicoTecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, PO 76130 Monterrey, MexicoThe Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is considered a key enabler for Industry 4.0. Modern wireless industrial protocols such as the IEEE 802.15.4e Time-Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) deliver high reliability to fulfill the requirements in IIoT by following strict schedules computed in a Scheduling Function (SF) to avoid collisions and to provide determinism. The standard does not define how such schedules are built. The SF plays an essential role in 6TiSCH networks since it dictates when and where the nodes are communicating according to the application requirements, thus directly influencing the reliability of the network. Moreover, typical industrial environments consist of heavy machinery and complementary wireless communication systems that can create interference. Hence, we propose a distributed SF, namely the Channel Ranking Scheduling Function (CRSF), for IIoT networks supporting IPv6 over the IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH mode. CRSF computes the number of cells required for each node using a buffer-based bandwidth allocation mechanism with a Kalman filtering technique to avoid sudden allocation/deallocation of cells. CRSF also ranks channel quality using Exponential Weighted Moving Averages (EWMAs) based on the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Background Noise (BN) level measurements, and the Packet Delivery Rate (PDR) metrics to select the best available channel to communicate. We compare the performance of CRSF with Orchestra and the Minimal Scheduling Function (MSF), in scenarios resembling industrial environmental characteristics. Performance is evaluated in terms of PDR, end-to-end latency, Radio Duty Cycle (RDC), and the elapsed time of first packet arrival. Results show that CRSF achieves high PDR and low RDC across all scenarios with periodic and burst traffic patterns at the cost of increased end-to-end latency. Moreover, CRSF delivers the first packet earlier than Orchestra and MSF in all scenarios. We conclude that CRSF is a viable option for IIoT networks with a large number of nodes and interference. The main contributions of our paper are threefold: (i) a bandwidth allocation mechanism that uses Kalman filtering techniques to effectively calculate the number of cells required for a given time, (ii) a channel ranking mechanism that combines metrics such as the PDR, RSSI, and BN to select channels with the best performance, and (iii) a new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that measures the elapsed time from network formation until the first packet reception at the root.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/5/15936TiSCHscheduling functionIEEE802.15.4e TSCH |
| spellingShingle | Ismael Amezcua Valdovinos Patricia Elizabeth Figueroa Millán Jesús Arturo Pérez-Díaz Cesar Vargas-Rosales Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks Sensors 6TiSCH scheduling function IEEE802.15.4e TSCH |
| title | Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks |
| title_full | Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks |
| title_fullStr | Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks |
| title_short | Distributed Channel Ranking Scheduling Function for Dense Industrial 6TiSCH Networks |
| title_sort | distributed channel ranking scheduling function for dense industrial 6tisch networks |
| topic | 6TiSCH scheduling function IEEE802.15.4e TSCH |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/5/1593 |
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