A multi-channel allocation method for clustered wireless sensor networks

In industrial monitoring applications, there are much dense adjacent frequency interference and strong electro-magnetic interference. In order to eliminate these interferences, a multi-channel allocation method is proposed to improve data reliability and throughput of clustered wireless sensor networks. To avoid cluster head marginalization, the paper presents the clustering algorithm based on the node density and its residual energy. With the packet reception ratio of a round's intra-cluster communication, it constructs the channel contention index (CCI) to evaluate channel service situation, and selects the new channel dynamically based on a two-threshold judgment mechanism. Simulation results show that the allocation method can achieve high anti-interferences performance, its intra-cluster packet reception ratio and aggregate throughput can both be improved.