TR-DBR: Cross-Layer Routing Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks Integrating TRMAC and DBR

Routing protocols play a crucial role in ensuring network connectivity and facilitating data transmission in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs). Due to the inherent challenges of UASNs, such as long propagation delays, high attenuation, limited bandwidth, and multipath effects, the reliable transmission performance of routing protocols is severely affected. Currently, most underwater acoustic routing protocols primarily focus on single-layer designs at the network layer, which imposes certain limitations. In this paper, we propose a novel cross-layer routing protocol (TR-DBR) that integrates TRMAC and DBR. TR-DBR uses the depth and energy information of nodes to select the optimal transmission path, achieves channel reservation and collision avoidance through TRMAC, and realizes safe and reliable transmission of data packets by TR communication. Simulation results indicate that TR-DBR can achieve higher packet delivery ratio than DBR with lower energy consumption regardless of the channel link quality, forming an efficient and robust packet delivery path.