Analysis of Node Energy Consumption in Sensor Networks

The energy consumption of network nodes in low data rate networks is analyzed using Markov chains and signal flow graphs. It allows for a comprehensive OSI-layer analysis, taking into account important system characteristics like the transmission channel, the basic receiver structure, the network traffic, the error control coding (ECC) and the kind of channel access. The results show the energy necessary to transmit one bit, depending on the data rate, the ECC, and the number of retransmissions allowed. Thus, it is possible to determine, which design parameters are important and what values are to be preferred. Another performance measure, the probability of a non-successful transmission of a burst, is evaluated as well. Furthermore, the shares of energy in transmit (TX)/receive (RX)/sleep-states are determined.