Lightweight spatial IP address configuration for IPv6-based wireless sensor networks in smart grid

IPv6-based wireless sensor networks (IPv6-WSNs) are playing an important role in the extension of the smart grid to residential premises. Unlike traditional WSNs, IPv6-WSNs are based on IP protocol and do not need an application-layer translator. They can greatly save developing time and improve the efficiency for end-to-end communications. As configuring node with unique address is a prerequisite for reliable end-to-end communications, address configuration becomes one of the main issues for IPv6-WSNs. Hence, this paper presents a lightweight spatial IPv6 address configuration scheme called DSIPA. In DSIPA, nodes with IP addresses are responsible for assigning addresses to their neighbors based on neighbors' locations. We use the assignment success rate (ASR) and the total energy consumption (TEC) as performance metrics. The simulation results show that DSIPA has higher ASR and lower TEC than previous address configuration schemes.