Optimizing Packet Reception Rates for Low Duty-Cycle BLE Relay Nodes

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Nuno Paulino (Author) FEUP; L. M. Pessoa (Author) FEUP; Branquinho, A (Author) Other; Almeida, R (Author) Other; Ferreira, I (Author) Other

Journal

Title: IEEE Sensors Journal

Vol. 22

ISSN: 1530-437X

Publisher: IEEE

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-V3V

DOI: 10.1109/jsen.2022.3179622

Abstract (EN): In order to achieve the full potential of the Internet-of-Things, connectivity between devices should be ubiquitous and efficient. Wireless mesh networks are a critical component to achieve this ubiquitous connectivity for a wide range of services, and are composed of terminal devices (i.e., nodes), such as sensors of various types, and wall powered gateway devices, which provide further internet connectivity (e.g., via Wi-Fi). When considering large indoor areas, such as hospitals or industrial scenarios, the mesh must cover a large area, which introduces concerns regarding range and the number of gateways needed and respective wall cabling infrastructure, including data and power. Solutions for mesh networks implemented over different wireless protocols exist, like the recent Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1. While BLE provides lower power consumption, some wall-power infrastructure may still be required. Alternatively, if some nodes are battery powered, concerns such as lifetime and packet delivery are introduced. We evaluate a scenario where the intermediate nodes of the mesh are battery powered, using a BLE relay of our own design, which acts as a range extender by forwarding packets from end-nodes to gateways. We present the relay's design and experimentally determine the packet forwarding efficiency for several scenarios and configurations. In the best case, up to 35% of the packets transmitted by 11 end-nodes can be forwarded to a gateway by a single relay under continuous operation. A battery lifetime of 1 year can be achieved with a relay duty cycle of 20%.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10