An efficient hybrid MAC layer protocol utilized for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networking is an emerging technology that has a wide range of potential applications. In this paper an efficient hybrid MAC layer protocol has been proposed, utilized ZigBee MAC (EZ-MAC), for sensor networks. Sensor networks have to manage variety of traffics such as real-time traffics and sensor traffics. Since most of real-time traffics are time-restricted, service access delay is a hot issue. In addition, sensor traffic has peculiar properties. In these points of view, EZ-MAC is one of the efficient solutions for MAC protocol in sensor networks. EZ-MAC has two main properties. First, it transmits data with low service access delay keeping access blocking ratio low by optimized structural sequence. Second, it consumes slightly lower power than conventional MAC protocols by introducing a scheduling scheme for sensor networks. Simulation results show both how much EZ-MAC can reduce the time-sensitive service access delay and how much it can enhance energy efficiency.