A Power-Managed Protocol Processor for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Wireless sensor network applications, such as environmental control in smart building and ecological monitoring, require low-power nodes that operate their entire lifetime without changing batteries. This paper describes the power management architecture for a digital protocol processor for a sensor network node. Eight subsystems implement the baseband through application protocol layers and are controlled by a centralized power manager. The prototype chip, implemented in 130nm CMOS, operates at 1.0V with an average power consumption of 150muW during normal operation