Behavior of IEEE 802.15.4 channel models on implant body area network

Abstract

With recent developments in the wireless networking technologies Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have enabled the scope for building cost-effective and non-invasive health monitoring system. Electromagnetic wave propagation and characterization of the physical layer are important to design a suitable channel model for WBANs. Most of the radios used in WBANs are based on IEEE 802.15.4 compliant chip set. In this paper, we modified channel model of IEEE 802.15.4 in NS-2 to study the performance of channel model CM1 (implant to implant) and channel model CM2 (between an implant device and an on or out-of body device) with different sets of simulation experiments. The simulation results successfully confirmed that the modified IEEE 802.15.4 protocol could be used in WBANs.