Sensors (Oct 2019)

Centralized Energy Harvesting-Based TDMA Protocol for Terahertz NanoSensor Networks

  • Juan Xu,
  • Jiali Kan,
  • Yan Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s19204508
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 20
p. 4508

Abstract

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Terahertz wireless nano-sensor networks (WNSNs) are novel networks interconnecting multiple nano-devices by means of wireless communication. In this paper, a centralized energy harvesting-based time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol, called CEH-TDMA is proposed. This protocol examines the data transmission process from a global perspective, where the nano-controller regulates the channel access and allocates time slots for all nano-nodes. First, each nano-node sends the remaining energy and the number of packets in its data buffer to the nano-controller, and then, the nano-controller constructs a Markov decision process (MDP) model according to the state information of all nano-nodes, where the energy consumption and the number of transmitted packets in the entire network are considered as impact factors in designing the award function in the MDP model. Finally, a globally optimal slot allocation strategy is obtained, which maximizes the amount of packet transmission in the perpetual WNSNs.

Keywords