Energy aware communication between smart IoT monitoring devices

Abstract

One of the most important issue that must be addressed in designing communication protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSN) is how to save sensor node energy while meeting the needs of applications. Recent researches have led to new protocols specifically designed for sensor networks where energy awareness is an essential consideration. Internet of Things (IoT) is an innovative ICT paradigm where a number of intelligent devices connected to Internet are involved in sharing information and making collaborative decision. Integration of sensing and actuation systems, connected to the Internet, means integration of all forms of energy consuming devices such as power outlets, bulbs, air conditioner, etc. Sometimes the system can communicate with the utility supply company and this led to achieve a balance between power generation and energy usage or in general is likely to optimize energy consumption as a whole. In this paper some emerging trends and challenges are identified to enable energy-efficient communications in Internet of Things architectures and between smart devices. The way devices communicate is analyzed in order to reduce energy consumption and prolong system lifetime. Devices equipped with WiFi and RF interfaces are analyzed under different scenarios by setting different communication parameters, such as data size, in order to evaluate the best device configuration and the longest lifetime of devices.