Energy-balanced distribution of radio modules with various technical states among positions of nodes in wireless sensor networks

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are widely used in various practical applications due to the availability of sensor and relay nodes. The imperfect technical condition of the modem part in nodes causes the hardware distortion of signals and the loss of messages in communication channels. Lost data recovery requires additional energy consumption, contributing to the premature discharge of batteries in individual nodes and decreased network lifetime. In this study, we propose an algorithm for the optimal energy-efficient distribution of radio modules (RMs) among the established node positions in terms of the technical condition of equipment using a minimax criterion. We developed physical layer models for the channels exhibiting incoherent reception of a priori distorted BFSK (binary frequency shift keying) signals under noise and Rayleigh and Rice fading conditions. Hardware distortions in these models are considered as a complex indicator represented by a coefficient showing similarity between the signal at the actual RM output and a reference signal with nominal parameters. The energy of the network is balanced due to the optimal distribution of the RMs among the node positions, taking into account the energy consumption of various WSN nodes.