Realistic Wireless Smart-Meter Network Optimization Using Composite RPL Metric

In smart metering applications, transferring and collecting data within delay constraints is crucial. IoT devices are usually resource-constrained and need reliable and energy-efficient routing protocol. Furthermore, meters deployed in lossy networks often lead to packet loss and congestion. In smart grid communication, low latency and low energy consumption are usually the main system targets. Considering these constraints, we propose an enhancement in RPL to ensure link reliability as well as low latency. We refer to the proposed new additive composite metric as Delay-Aware RPL (DA-RPL). Moreover, we propose a repeaters’ placement algorithm to meet the latency requirements. The performance of a realistic RF network is simulated and evaluated. Experimental results show that the performance of DA-RPL is promising in terms of end-to-end delay and energy consumption.