Topology control in network-coding-based-multicast wireless sensor networks

Network coding is a promising technique to improve throughput and reliability. However, the benefit of network coding is restricted and affected by network topology, especially in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Topology control algorithms adjust the transmission parameters of sensors, chiefly transmission power to achieve a desired topology. So both network coding and topology control algorithms reduce power consumption and improve WSN's lifetime. We provide a detailed analytical evaluation of an optimal topology control in network-coding-based-multicast WSNs as a mixed integer non-linear problem. Although this problem is NP-hard, but the mathematical formulation can help us assess the essence and understand the hardness of this problem. We then propose a heuristic algorithm for topology control in network-coding-based-multicast WSNs that run much faster. The efficiency of our algorithm is demonstrated by simulation results under different traffic patterns. We conclude that our algorithm can be used to control the topology of multicast-capable WSNs with significantly better lifetime when compared with conventional algorithms.