Improvement of IEEE 802.15.4a IR-UWB for time-critical industrial wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks for industrial factory automation require high reliability and low latency. Since state of the art wireless sensor networks do not entirely meet these requirements, novel system approaches need to be developed. In this regard, ultra wideband communication systems seem to be a promising approach due to their high bandwidth and robustness against frequency selectivity. This paper analyzes the feasibility of the IEEE 802.15.4a impulse-radio ultra-wideband physical layer in the application domain of factory automation. The IEEE 802.15.4e media access control layer which is specified to meet the requirements of industrial applications is included in the analysis. Based on a realistic network and application scenario, the resulting system latency is examined. Parameter adaptions and system enhancements for latency reduction considering both physical and media access control layers are given. As a result, the performance investigation serves as a guide for selecting a suitable wireless system for the establishment of a wireless sensor network. A lower bound of resulting latency is presented.