Transmit Power Reduction ≠ Proportional Power Savings: Applicability of Transmit Power Control in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

This article argues that reducing transmit power at low-power RF transceivers does not lead to proportional energy savings. This is due to the fact that the baseline operations of low-power transceivers are already optimized for very low power consumption. The article then claims that typical transmit power control protocols discussed in the context of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are tested in small-scale settings, and thus do not reflect the actual real-world large-scale WSN or IoT scenarios. The article also discusses how a joint transmit power and routing scheme can help in reducing the overhearing effects on the nodes that have significantly low available energy.