Scalable protocol for large WSNs having low duty cycle end nodes

A wireless sensor network, comprising:

• a main node, the main node configured to define communications channels over which the main node communicates with nodes based on a channel hopping scheme, and to define at least one transfer channel that is dedicated to carrying transfer frames that are broadcast by the main node, the main node configured to transmit the transfer frames, each of which indicates a next communications channel, the main node configured to transmit a beacon frame over the next communications channel;
• and
• non-acquired nodes associated with sensors, the non-acquired nodes are not acquired to the network, the non-acquired nodes configured to enter a connection session by locating the transfer channel to listen for the transfer frame, the non-acquired nodes configured to switch to the next communications channel and listen for the beacon frame, the non-acquired nodes configured to utilize the beacon frame as a timing reference to enable the non-acquired nodes to acquire the network.