Efficient online estimation of bursty wireless links

Abstract

Rapidly changing link conditions make it difficult to accurately estimate the quality of wireless links and predict the fate of future transmissions. In particular bursty links pose a major challenge to online link estimation due to strong fluctuations in their transmission success rates at short time scales. Therefore, the prevalent approach in routing algorithms is to employ a long term link estimator that selects only consistently stable links -PRR > 90% -for packet transmissions. The use of bursty links is thus disregarded although these links provide considerable additional resources for the routing process.Based on significant empirical evidence of over 100,000 transmissions over each link in widely used 802.15.4 and 802.11 testbeds, we propose two metrics, Expected Future Transmissions (EFT) and MAC3, for runtime estimation of bursty wireless links. We introduce the Bursty Link Estimator (BLE) that, based on these two metrics, accurately estimates bursty links in the network rendering them available for packet transmissions.

Network Initialization in Low-Power Wireless Networks: A Comprehensive Study

“…interference, irregular radio range, asymmetric communications, dynamic and unpredictable behavior) propose new issues that should be addressed in designing reliable and efficient communication protocols [15,16]. Due to the high sensitivity of low-power radio signals to the noise, interference and multipath effect, packet delivery ratio of low-power wireless links fluctuates frequently during the network operation [17]. In order to reduce the effects of link variations on the functionality of network protocols, link quality measurement is an essential part for protocol design [4,18].…”

An adaptable fuzzy-based model for predicting link quality in robot networks.

“…Many of the early works in LQ estimation relied upon transmission of periodic probes for assessing the state of the link [23,[61][62][63]67]. Later, many works attempted to reduce the overhead and responsiveness issues of periodic probes by developing passive packet counting techniques through MAC layer monitoring [68,[71][72][73][74][75]. However, access to the MAC layer primitives for packet counting requires driver and software modifications that makes it difficult to scale across heterogeneous systems [26].…”

“…Other pertinent simulation details are outlined in Table 3. Effect of Link Quality Probes on Channel Capacity The accuracy, responsiveness, and overhead concerns of sending active (i.e., forced) probes for LQ estimation motivated several researchers to establish packet counting ratios using passive methods [68,[71][72][73][74][75]. Instead of forcing traffic at the network layer, the concept is to passively observe and count data transactions occurring at the MAC layer.…”