A first look at a cross-layer facilitating architecture for wireless sensor networks

A plethora of cross-layer schemes exists today, and these protocols often provide ingenious ways to serve dedicated applications for wireless sensor networks. However, sensor network protocols often trade compatibility with other schemes for specialization. In this paper, we describe the beginning of an ambitious project to design a new architecture that facilitates cross-layering while proving enough flexibility to support different applications and networks. In this first look at this architecture, we suggest utilizing different services and data structures to exchange a pool of information among all layers to improve the network performance. By keeping a structure equivalent to the OSI model, we provide an accommodating common framework for protocols in the stack to access useful information about their own state and that of their neighbors.