FT-CSMA: A Fine-Tuned CSMA Protocol for LoRa-Based Networks

Abstract

—Advances in low-power networking have shown remarkable evolution for the Internet of Things. LoRa technology promises low power consumption and long-range connectivity while maintaining sufficient throughput. However, in environments with a higher density of nodes, there is a high potential for packet collisions, compromising the reliability of the technology. This is a direct consequence of using an Aloha-based protocol to access the channel. This article proposes a Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) protocol called FT-CSMA, a new collision avoidance technique based on a hybrid of CSMA in IEEE 802.15.4 and CSMA in IEEE 802.11. The design of this protocol aims to provide an acceptable trade-off between the performance parameters of LoRa-based networks. Energy consumption, packet delivery ratio, and delay are interdependent; improving one will affect the others. FT-CSMA outperforms other methods in terms of Quality of Service and energy efficiency, with a 2% reduction in energy consumption and a 5% increase in packet delivery ratio.