DRCP: A Dynamic Resource Control Protocol for alleviating congestion in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is composed of resource-constrained sensors with limited capabilities. Wireless Sensor Networks are subject to more packet loss and congestion. For efficient congestion control, an accurate and timely estimation of resource demands by measuring the network congestion level is necessary. To mitigate congestion, either the available resources have to be increased (resource control) or the source transmission rate should be restricted (traffic control). Most congestion control in WSNs has focused on traffic control. We proposed a Dynamic Resource Control Protocol (DRCP) to control congestion in wireless sensor networks. DRCP utilizes multiple resources to control congestion. DRCP alleviates congestion by controlling transmission power. Simulation results show the performance of the proposed protocol that improves system throughput, and decreases packet dropping, while saving energy.