Overview of Techniques for Improving MAC over Wireless Sensor Networks
Divyata N. Patel1, Jemish V. Maisuria2, Milind S. Shah3

1Divyata K Patel, Department of E & C, Government Engineering College, Surat (Gujarat), India.
2Prof. Jemish V Maisuria, Department of E & C, Government Engineering College, Modasa (Gujarat), India.
3Prof. Milind S Shah, Department of E & C, Government Engineering College, Surat (Gujarat), India.
Manuscript received on 10 July 2013 | Revised Manuscript received on 18 July 2013 | Manuscript Published on 30 July 2013 | PP: 97-101 | Volume-3 Issue-2, July 2013 | Retrieval Number: B1022073213/13©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: In recent years, sensor networks have transitioned from being objects of academic research interest to a technology that is frequently being deployed in real-life applications and rapidly being commercialized. Wireless sensor networks use battery operated computing and sensing devices. Energy consumption continues to remain a barrier challenge in many sensor network applications that require long lifetimes. However, lower sensing ranges result in dense networks, which bring the necessity to achieve an efficient medium access protocol subject to power constraints. Various MAC protocols with different objectives were proposed for wireless sensor networks. This article surveys several techniques that show promise in addressing and alleviating this MAC improvement challenge. In this paper, we describe several MAC protocols proposed for sensor networks emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we point out conclusion on MAC layer design.
Keywords: MAC Protocols, Sensor Networks, Survey, SMAC, Duty Cycle.

Scope of the Article: Wireless ad hoc & Sensor Networks