The firecracker protocol

Abstract

We propose the Firecracker protocol for data dissemination in wireless sensor networks. Firecracker uses a combination of routing and broadcasts to rapidly deliver a piece of data to every node in a network. To start dissemination, the data source sends data to distant points in the network. Once the data reaches its destinations, broadcast-based dissemination begins along the paths, like a string of firecrackers.By using an initial routing phase, Firecracker can disseminate at a faster rate than scalable broadcasts while sending fewer packets. The selection of points to route to has a large effect on performance, indicating possible requirements for any-to-any routing protocols in wireless sensor networks.