This paper proposes a low latency MAC protocol that can be used in sensor networks. To extend the lifetime of sensor nodes, the conventional solution is to synchronize active/sleep periods of all sensor nodes. However, due to these synchronized sensor nodes, packets in the intermediate nodes must wait until the next node wakes up before it can forward a packet. This induces a large delay in sensor nodes. To solve this latency problem, a clustered sensor network which uses two types of sensor nodes and layered architecture is considered. Clustered heads in each cluster are synchronized with different timing offsets to reduce the sleep delay. Using this concept, the latency problem can be solved and more efficient power usage can be obtained.

This letter proposes a model that allows the effects of hidden terminals on the performance of the S-MAC protocol to be assessed. The model is used to analyze the impact of the number of hidden terminals on the service delay and throughput of the MAC layer. Simulation results show good agreement with our analytical results, which validates the accuracy of our model.

We analyze the energy consumption of the sensor-medium access control (S-MAC) protocol, where contending nodes exist. Because all nodes running the S-MAC within a virtual cluster always behave with a fixed frame length, the behavior should be analyzed based on its frame. Hence, reflecting the frame architecture, we first present an analytic model for the S-MAC behavior with a discrete-time Markov chain, and then we analyze energy consumption under unsaturated conditions.