Analysis of Communication and Control Performance of Multi-Hop IEEE 802.15.4-based WNCSs under Wi-Fi Interference

This paper investigates a co-design framework for wireless networked control systems (WNCSs) that integrates multi-hop IEEE 802.15.4-based links under Wi-Fi interference, addressing the challenges of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) degradation in adverse industrial environments. Multihop configurations are essential for extending the operational range and improving SINR in harsh propagation conditions, but they introduce trade-offs in control stability, latency, and computational complexity. We investigate the impact of multi-hop communication on system performance, comparing Bernoulli and Markovian control strategies. Our results demonstrate that multihop links effectively extend the operational range and mitigate SINR degradation, but at the cost of increased latency and computational cost. We analyze the spectral radius of the system stability verification matrix and control costs for Bernoulli and Markovian control strategies, illustrating that network latency and hop counts can be balanced while maintaining the stability of the multi-hop WNCS. Markovian strategy, although more computationally intensive, outperforms Bernoulli strategy under high interference, offering a robust solution for industrial WNCSs. The proposed framework provides a practical approach for deploying reliable WNCSs in interference-prone environments.