CRC Error Correction in IoT Applications

In this paper, error correction is introduced to the Bluetooth low energy and IEEE 802.15.4 standards by utilizing data redundancy provided by cyclic redundancy check (CRC) codes used by both protocols to detect erroneous packets. A scenario with an energy-constrained transmitter and a constraint-free infrastructure is assumed that enables additional signal processing at the receiving side, keeping the transmitter intact. CRC error correction is achieved using a novel approach of applying iterative decoding techniques. The proposed methods are evaluated based both on simulated and real packets. It is shown that by enabling CRC error correction, up to 2.5 dB of the signal to noise ratio gain can be achieved, while up to 35% of real corrupted packets can be corrected, at no extra cost for the transmitter. This results in potential range extension and longer battery life caused by a reduced number of retransmissions.