Energy efficiency maximization for wireless sensor networks

Because of the remote nature and the size of sensor nodes, they rely on limited battery energy that cannot be replenished in many applications. Thus, low power consumption technology is a major issue in wireless sensor networks in order to prolong system lifetime. In this paper, we propose to maximize energy efficiency in wireless sensor networks using optimal packet length in terms of power management and channel coding. The use of power management cannot improve energy efficiency, but it saves a lot of energy because the transceiver is turned off while it is not used. Also, we evaluate optimal packet length without power management in such that the energy efficiency can be maximized. Finally, we show that the BCH code for channel coding can improve energy efficiency significantly compared to the convolutional code.