SL-MAC: A Joint TDMA MAC Protocol for LEO Satellites Supported Internet of Things

LEO Satellites, which can provide Internet access points for IoT devices deployed in areas without infrastructure, will play an important role in the IoT area. In this paper, we propose a joint TDMA MAC protocol SL-MAC for LEO satellite supported IoT, which can reduce network delay and improve the energy efficiency. Specifically, we design a continuous forward time slot allocation strategy, which guarantees real-time data while reducing the utilization of satellite resources. Then we design two algorithms based on the forward time slot allocation strategy, which can effectively reduce network delay. The simulation experimental results are consistent with the theoretical results, which embodies the effectiveness of the algorithm.