Channel Access Methods for RF-Powered IoT Networks: A Survey

Abstract: Many Internet of Things (IoT) networks with Radio Frequency (RF) powered devices operate over a shared medium. They thus require a channel access protocol. Unlike conventional networks where devices have unlimited energy, in an RF-powered IoT network, devices must first harvest RF energy in order to transmit or/and receive data. To this end, this survey presents the {\em first} comprehensive review of prior works that employ contention-based and contention-free protocols in IoT networks with one or more {\em dedicated} energy sources. Specifically, these protocols work in conjunction with RF-energy sources to deliver energy delivery or/and data. In this respect, this survey covers protocols based on Aloha, Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA), polling, and dynamic Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). Further, it covers successive interference cancellation protocols. It highlights key issues and challenges addressed by prior works, and provides a qualitative comparison of these works. Lastly, it identifies gaps in the literature and presents a list of future research directions.