Multi-channel routing algorithm for cluster-tree wireless sensor networks in aerospace applications

Wireless sensor networks can effectively reduce complexity, weight, and costs of aerospace onboard communication systems. However, it is necessary to optimize these networks in order to extend their autonomous lifetime. The use of a multi hop communication strategy in a cluster-tree network is a useful mechanism to reduce the energy per packet. In this paper, a distributed method based on joint channel and delay allocation is proposed to reduce the collision probability in this kind of networks. It allows us to increase the spectral efficiency of the network using many channels simultaneously. Furthermore, it coordinates the nodes to avoid beacon collisions, which is one of the main issues in this topology when the beacon enabled mode of IEEE 802.15.4 is used. This distributed strategy not only reduces the installation costs of networks with manually allocated resources, but also outperforms their performance since it adapts, both the packet routing and the resource allocation according to the channel conditions.