Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocols for Ultra-Wideband (UWB)-Based Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN)

peer reviewedA wireless body area network (WBAN) is a dedicated network developed to operate in, on or near the human body. In order to design a power-efficient WBAN, a cross-layer solution is required. The physical layer of a WBAN determines the choice of wireless scheme, modulation scheme, synchronization and data rate. The data-link layer provides medium access control (MAC), which ensures reliable and fair access to the communication channel. Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a suitable wireless technology to achieve high data rates while keeping power consumption and form factors small. Hence, it provides numerous advantages to WBAN applications. This chapter analyzes UWB-based MAC protocols available for WBAN systems in terms of their practicality in design, effectiveness in data delivery and power efficiency. In particular, the application of WBAN in healthcare monitoring environments is considered. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York. All rights reserved