Protocol Stack of WSNs

Abstract

Several considerations must be taken when developing protocols for wireless sensor networks. Traditional thinking where the focus is on quality of service is somehow revised. In WSNs, QoS is compromised to conserve energy and preserve the life of the network. Concern must be accorded at every level of the protocol stack to conserve energy, and to allow individual nodes to reconfigure the network and modify their set of tasks according to the resources available. The protocol stack for WSNs consists of five standard protocol layers trimmed to satisfy typical sensors features, namely, application layer, transport layer, network layer, data-link layer, and physical layer. These layers address network dynamics and energy efficiency. Functions such as localization, coverage, storage, synchronization, security, and data aggregation and compression are network services that enable proper sensors functioning. Implementation of WSNs protocols at different layers in the protocol stack aims at minimizing energy consumption, and end-to-endCongestion control: end-to-end delay, and maintaining system efficiency. Traditional networking protocols are not designed to meet these WSNs requirements, hence, new energy-efficient protocols have been proposed for all layers of the protocol stack. These protocols employ cross-layer optimization by supporting interactions across the protocol layers. Specifically, protocol state information at a particular layer is shared across all the layers to meet the specific requirements of the WSN.