Edge-Enabled Downlink Scheduling Scheme for 6TiSCH-Based IIoT Network

The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) with 6G networks promises a huge potential for improvised industrial communication. A large number of low-power communication technologies is expected to be part of 6 G in industrial IoT for data collection, forwarding, and actuation. Industrial IoT (IIOT) requires deterministic network services, which can meet the demand for real-time services. Edge-based solutions can help 6G networks meet the requirements of real-time services demanding lower latency. This work aims to address such real-time demands with efficient use of radio resources using 6TiSCH (IPv6 over Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) mode). In this paper, we propose an edge-based downlink scheduling scheme for the 6TiSCH-based IIoT network named EDSN. EDSN leverages a computation and communication model using edge computing and 6TiSCH scheduling to minimize the overall network latency for downlink data traffic. It schedules actuation (downlink) signals based on the criticality of the received sensor data and the location of the actuators. EDSN analyzes traffic at the edge nodes and allocates a suitable downlink schedule to meet the application requirements of the edge controller. The scheme offers a fair mechanism for provisioning timely schedules for low-priority packets and significantly reduces downlink action times compared to the state-of-the-art. Our experimental results demonstrate that EDSN can effectively reduce response times and improve packet delivery ratios for priority traffic, making it a promising solution for IIoT applications that require low response times and reliable packet delivery.