| Summary: | Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of Sensor Nodes (SNs) spatially removed
from one another, that can monitor a variety of environmental conditions. SNs then
collaboratively communicate the collected information to a central location, by passing
along the data in a multi-hop fashion. SN energy resources are limited and energy
monitoring and preservation in WSNs are therefore very important. Since multi-hop
communication takes place, the routing protocol used may have a significant effect on
the balanced use and preservation of energy in the WSN.
A significant amount of research has been performed on energy efficient routing in
WSNs, but the majority of these studies were only implemented in simulation. The
simulation engines used to perform these studies do not take into account all of the
relevant environmental factors affecting energy efficiency. In order to comment on the
feasibility of a routing protocol meant to improve the energy efficiency of a WSN, it is
important to test the routing scheme in a realistic environment.
In this study, a SN specifically designed to be used in an energy consumption ascertaining
WSN testbed was developed. This SN has a unique set of features which makes
it ideal for this application. Each SN is capable of recording its own power consumption.
The design also features a lithium battery charging circuit which improves the
reusability of the SN. Each node has a detachable sensor module and transceiver module
which enables the researcher to conduct experiments using various transceivers
and sensors. Twenty of these SNs were then used to form an energy consumption
ascertaining WSN testbed.
This testbed was used to compare the energy consumption of a Minimum Total Transmission
Power Routing (MTTPR) scheme to a shortest hop path routing scheme. The
results show that each SN’s transmission power setting dependant efficiency has a significant
effect on the overall performance of the MTTPR scheme. The MTTPR scheme
might in some cases use more energy than a shortest hop path routing scheme because
the transmission power setting dependant efficiency of the transceiver is not taken into account. The MTTPR scheme as well as other similar routing schemes can
be improved by taking the transceiver efficiency at different transmission power settings
into account. Simulation environments used to evaluate these routing schemes
can also be improved by considering the transceiver efficiency at different transmission
power settings. === MIng (Computer and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014
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