Multiple token-based neighbor discovery for directional sensor networks

Abstract

Directional sensor networks (DSNs) can significantly improve the performance of a network by employing energy efficient communication protocols. Neighbor discovery is a vital part of medium access control (MAC) and routing protocol, which influences the establishment of communication between neighboring nodes. Neighbor discovery is a challenging task in DSNs due to the limited coverage provided by directional antennas. Furthermore, in these networks, communication can only take place when the beams of the directional antennas are pointed toward each other. In this article, we propose a novel multiple token-based neighbor discovery (MuND) protocol, in which multiple tokens are transmitted based on an area exploration algorithm. The performance of the protocol is evaluated using the Cooja simulator. The simulation results reveal that the proposed MuND protocol achieves lower neighbor discovery latency, with a 100% neighbor discovery ratio, and has a relatively low communication overhead and low energy consumption.