Publication Date
Spring 2020
School
School of Engineering and Computational Sciences
Major
Engineering: Computer
Keywords
6LoWPAN, RPL, MRHOF, load balancing, stability
Disciplines
Digital Communications and Networking
Recommended Citation
Harvey, Hope, "A Test Bed for Evaluating the Performance of IoT Networks" (2020). Senior Honors Theses. 987.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/987
Abstract
The use of smaller, personal IoT networks has increased over the past several years. These devices demand a lot of resources but only have limited access. To establish and sustain a flexible network connection, 6LoWPAN with RPL protocol is commonly used. While RPL provides a low-cost solution for connection, it lacks load balancing mechanisms. Improvements in OF load balancing can be implemented to strengthen network stability. This paper proposes a test bed configuration to show the toll of frequent parent switching on 6LoWPAN. Contiki’s RPL 6LoWPAN software runs on STM32 Nucleo microcontrollers with expansion boards for this test bed. The configuration tests frequency of parent changes and packet loss to demonstrate network instability of different RPL OFs. Tests on MRHOF for RPL were executed to confirm the working configuration. Results, with troubleshooting and improvements, show a working bed. The laid-out configuration provides a means for testing network stability in IoT networks.
