Ad-hoc network routing metric optimization

1. A method, comprising:

sending packets to remote nodes on opposite ends of different links,

determining a forward ratio for each of the links identifying a ratio of packets successfully received by the remote nodes;

receiving packets from the remote nodes on the different links;

determining a reverse ratio for each of the links identifying a ratio of packets successfully received from the remote nodes;

generating expected retransmission ratios for the different links according to the product of the forward ratio and reverse ratio; and

selecting the links for sending or forwarding packets according to the generated expected retransmission ratios.

2. The method according to claim 1 including:

periodically calculating the expected retransmission ratios for the different links;

averaging the calculated expected retransmission ratios for the different links over a predetermined time period; and

selecting the links for sending or forwarding packets according to their averaged expected retransmission ratios.

3. The method according to claim 1 including:

generating link capacity indexes for each of the links that represents a combination of platform capabilities for both nodes on opposite ends of the links; and

sending or forwarding packets according to both the link capacity values and the expected retransmission indexes for the links.

4. The method according to claim 3 including:

calculating individual link capacity indexes for both of the nodes on opposite ends of the same links;

using the individual link capacity indexes to determine symmetric link capacity indexes used by both nodes on opposite ends of the same links; and

selecting links for sending or forwarding packets according to their symmetric link capacity indexes.

5. The method according to claim 4 including using different combinations of a platform contribution value, a memory contribution value, a processor speed contribution value, and a wireless interface speed contribution value for calculating the individual link capacity indexes.

6. The method according to claim 5 including applying individual weighting coefficients to each of the different contribution values according to different environmental conditions associated with the links.

7. A node in an ad-hoc mesh network, comprising:

hardware circuitry configured to:

send packets to remote nodes on opposite ends of different links,

determine a forward ratio for each of the links identifying a ratio of packets successfully received by the remote nodes;

hardware circuitry configured to: receive packets from the remote nodes on the different links;

determine a reverse ratio for each of the links identifying a ratio of packets successfully received by the remote nodes;

generate expected retransmission ratios for the different links according to the product of the forward ratio and reverse ratio; and

select the links for sending or forwarding packets according to the generated expected retransmission ratios.

8. A network processing device, comprising:

a processor configured to calculate link metrics for different network links that include a link capacity index that represents a combination of platform and interface capabilities for nodes on both ends of the network links, wherein the processor generates the link capacity index according to the following:

LCI =50*((255 −(LCI A *LCI B ))/255); where

LCI A is the link capacity index for the network processing device;

LCI B is the link capacity index for a node on an opposite end of the network link;

LCI A and LCI B =k1*PLATFORM +k2*MEMORY +k3*CPU SPEED +k4*BATTERY +k5*LINK SPEED;

PLATFORM is a value associated with a particular type of network processing device;

MEMORY is a value associated with an amount of memory available on the network processing device;

CPU SPEED is a value associated with an operating speed of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) in the network processing device;

BATTERY is a value associated with an amount of battery life available in the network processing device;

LINK SPEED is a value associated with a transmission speed available in the network processing device for transferring data; and

k 1, k2, k3, k4, and k5 are weighting coefficients; and

the processor generating or receiving packets and prioritizing selection of one of the network links for forwarding the packets according to the calculated link metrics.