FTSMAC: A multi-channel hybrid reader collision avoidance protocol for RFID network

Abstract

Due to the emergence of the Internet of Things, the need for effective identification and traceability has increased. Radio-frequency identification (RFID), a simple and cheap approach for gathering information, has therefore drawn the attention of research communities. However, this system suffers from problems caused by high density, such as collisions and duplication. Thus, the deployment of RFID is more effective in a dense environment where it may improve overage and delays. A wide range of solutions have been proposed; however, the majority of these are based on the application context. In this paper, we propose a general MAC layer protocol FTSMAC (Frequency Time Scheme MAC) in which the spectrum frequency is efficiently used by dividing the signal into different time slots via a messaging mechanism used by RFID readers. This limits the collisions in high-density RFID deployment that affect the performance of the system. Thus, our solution allows the communication system to converge to a stable state within a convenient time.