Topology Control for Wireless Sensor Networks

Topology control in wireless networks is important to maintain reliable communication links between base stations and nodes, and to maximize the battery life. This paper analyzes how the power control technology affects the MAC layer, network topology, routing, and energy efficiency. Then an energy aware degree-based transmission power control protocol is presented in this paper. We augment our distributed protocol with a heuristic that considers neighbor load information when making power control decisions. It limits the accretion of transmission power, particularly in loose network. Compared to traditional protocol, our protocol can improve energy efficiency and prolong network lifetime significantly, while networks connectivity is still maintained in extreme scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate our conclusion.