MAC Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks

Background/Objectives: Wireless sensor network are the collection of individual nodes which are able to interact with physical environment statically or dynamically by sensing or controlling physical parameter. The design of an energyefficient Medium Access efficient Control (MAC) protocol is one of the major issues in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Most of these protocols take into account the energy efficiency as a main objective. There is much more innovative work should be done at the MAC layer to address the hard unsolved problems. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Wireless sensor network become a prominent in many applications like habitat, infrastructure and industrial automation. In this paper, we first outline and discuss the specific requirements and design trade-offs of a typical wireless sensor MAC protocol by describing the properties of WSN that affect the design of MAC layer protocols. Then, a typical collection of wireless sensor MAC protocols presented in the literature are surveyed, classified, and described emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages whenever possible. Findings: In this paper we study some characteristics of WSN that are important for the design of MAC layer protocols and give a brief introduction of some MAC protocols with reference to energy efficiency for WSN. In accordance with channel access policies, MAC protocols are classified into four types, which are cross layer protocols, TDMA-based, contention-based and hybrid. For the collection of recent wireless sensor real-time MAC protocols emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages whenever possible. One of the major constraints in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is power consumption. In recent years, a lot of efforts have been put into the design of Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols for WSN, in order to reduce energy consumption and enhance the network’s lifetime. Application/ Improvement: MAC protocol plays an important role in WSN energy performance and give result that there is no standard protocol which give better energy efficiency and enhances further research to design and develop application dependent and for usages.