Enhanced Traffic Granularity in 6TiSCH Networks: Slotframe Length Design and EWMA-Based Cell Scheduling
Jeongbae Park, Sang-Hwa Chung · 2025
IPv6 over the TSCH mode of IEEE 802.15.4e (6TiSCH) network is vital for applications like industrial automation and environmental monitoring. Time-Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) is a Media Access Control (MAC) protocol within 6TiSCH, operating on repeating fixed schedules. This characteristic creates a limitation in traffic granularity and the inability to efficiently match resource allocation to traffic loads below the capacity of a single cell. Consequently, this leads to cell over-provisioning, resulting in periods of idle listening and wasted energy. To address this challenge, we propose an Enhanced Traffic Granularity Minimal Scheduling Function (EG-MSF). It aims to mitigate over-provisioning and enhance energy efficiency through adaptive cell scheduling and slotframe length design. We evaluate EG-MSF through simulations, demonstrating its performance in terms of higher packet delivery ratios (PDR) and reduced energy consumption compared with conventional MSF.