Neighbour aware fast association scheme over IEEE 802.15.4

IEEE 802.15.4 has been widely used in various sensor network applications. Furthermore, efficient handling of node mobility is expected to facilitate more numerous applications in IEEE 802.15.4. It is observed that the amount of time required for the association process, where a node has to scan multiple channels, is the key reason why IEEE 802.15.4 is unable to handle the mobility. In this paper, a new fast association technique is proposed that prevents nodes from scanning multiple channels. In the proposed scheme, nodes maintain a list of operating channels of all the coordinator in the vicinity. Whenever the node needs to find a new coordinator, it scans only those channels in the list, which drastically decrease the number of channels the node has to scan. The simulation result shows that the proposed scheme can significantly decrease the total association time in IEEE 80215.4.