An Efficient Intra-cluster MAC Protocol in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Efficient intra-cluster communication on the MAC layer in the underwater acoustic sensor networks has always been the primary concern. However, the existing MAC protocols are not suitable for the intra-cluster communication. In this paper, we analyze some typical MAC protocols and the reasons for their unsuitability. We propose IC-MAC, an Intra-cluster MAC protocol based on a model of intra-cluster nodes location. This protocol realizes the slot synchronization between nodes, sleep mechanism and collision avoidance. Finally, we simulate IC-MAC, TDMA and T-Lohi for comparison. The results show IC-MAC has better performance in terms of throughput and end-to-end delay. Our design is also energy-efficient.