Recent Approaches to Enhance the Efficiency of Ultra-Wide Band MAC Protocols

Ultra-wide band (UWB) is a promising radio technology to transmit huge data in short distances between different digital devices or between individual components of a personal computer. Due to the magnificent features of UWB technology, it finds vast research and application interests, such as Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) as a special case of WSNs, and Wireless Area Networks (WLANs) as well. In this article, we study the assumptions and performance metrics related to recent schemes of Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocols employed in UWB applications that aim to improve its performance. Also, we compare the different approaches used in the recent works based on 10 parameters: application domain, cast type, protocol centralization, number of hops, mobility, number of used channels, uniformity, priority, and analytical approach. Finally, we introduce different approaches to improve UWB applications. Keywords—Ultra-wide band (UWB); Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN); Wireless Sensor Network (WSN); Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN); Medium Access Control (MAC); performance metrics