Evaluation of the effects of a grouping algorithm on IEEE 802.15.4 networks with hidden nodes

This paper proposes hidden-node aware grouping (HAG) algorithm to enhance the performance of institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 networks when they undergo either severe collisions or frequent interferences by hidden nodes. According to the degree of measured collisions and interferences, HAG algorithm dynamically transforms IEEE 802.15.4 protocol between a contention algorithm and a contention-limited one. As a way to reduce the degree of contentions, it organizes nodes into some number of groups and assigns each group an exclusive per-group time slot during which only its member nodes compete to grab the channel. To eliminate harmful disruptions by hidden nodes, especially, it identifies hidden nodes by analyzing the received signal powers that each node reports and then places them into distinct groups. For load balancing, finally it flexibly adapts each per-group time according to the periodic average collision rate of each group. This paper also extends a conventional Markov chain model of IEEE 802.15.4 by including the deferment technique and a traffic source to more accurately evaluate the throughput of HAG algorithm under both saturated and unsaturated environments. This mathematical model and corresponding simulations predict with 6% discrepancy that HAG algorithm can improve the performance of the legacy IEEE 802.15.4 protocol, for example, even by 95% in a network that contains two hidden nodes, resulting in creation of three groups.