An IEEE 802.15.4 Packet Error Classification Algorithm : Discriminating Between Multipath Fading and Attenuation and WLAN

Abstract: In wireless sensor networks, communications are usually destroyed by signal attenuation, multipath fading and different kinds of interferences like WLAN and microwave oven interference. In order to build a stable wireless communication system, reactions like retransmission mechanisms are necessary. Since the way we must react to interference is different from the way we react to multipathfading and attenuation, the retransmission mechanism should be adjusted in different ways under those different cicumstances. Under this condition, channel diagnostics for discriminating the causes that corrupt the packets between multipath fading and attenuation (MFA) and WLAN interference are imperative. This paper presents a frame bit error rate (F-BER) regulated algorithm based on a joint RSSI-LQI classifier that may correctly diagnose the channel status. This discriminator is implemented on MicaZ sensor devices equipped with CC2420 transceivers. This discriminator is able to improve the accuracy to 91%. Although we need to wait for 2 or 3 necessary packets to make a decision, higher stability and reliability are presented when operating this discriminator.