Demo abstract: Cross-technology TDMA synchronization using energy pattern beacons

When different technologies use the same frequency bands in close proximity, the resulting interference typically results in performance degradation. Coexistence methods exist, but these are often technology specific and require technology specific interference detection methods. To remove the root cause of the performance degradation, devices should be able to negotiate medium access even when using different technologies. To this end, an architecture that allows cross-technology medium access by means of a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheme was devised. In order to achieve cross-technology synchronization, which is required for the TDMA solution, an energy pattern beacon is transmitted. The use of energy patterns is sufficiently technology agnostic to allow multiple technologies to negotiate between each other. To showcase the feasibility of cross-technology synchronization a demo set-up, using IEEE802.15.4 and IEEE802.11 devices in the w-iLab.t testbed, has been created. It demonstrates that the TDMA solution can successfully divide the medium between the different technologies in order to minimize cross-technology interference.