Wireless Sensor Networks - A Comparative Study for Energy Minimization Using Topology Control

Wireless sensors are generally battery-powered stand-alone devices with limited processing power and communication capabilities. Wireless sensors have limited sources of energy to power their functions. Green technologies are those designed to be more efficient in energy consumption and conservation and/or to utilize greener energy sources than used previously. Sensor network energy utilization and more efficient energy conservation are major areas of concern to ensure proper long term operation of a wireless sensor. Topology Control has been studied to minimize energy consumption for a wireless sensor network (WSN). A comparative study has been conducted for various WSN Topology Construction and Topology Maintenance protocols using Atarraya - a Topology Control simulator, taking into consideration the number of connected, unconnected, dead nodes as well as the energy consumed by the sensor nodes during the implementation of various protocols. Based on the simulation data, the most suitable protocol for energy minimization has been determined.