Sensor node lifetime: An experimental study

Node lifetime is a key performance metric in wireless sensor network (WSN) research. Simplistic assumptions and naïve lifetime estimation techniques invariably prove to be extremely unreliable in practice, to the point that premature battery depletion notoriously affects real-world deployments. In this paper we adopt an experimental approach and employ various types of real-world batteries to determine the actual lifespan of a sensor node under common operating conditions. We present a rich set of results from an extensive experimental campaign based on the widely used TelosB platform running TinyOS. We have measured the actual node lifetime using various brands of commercial batteries as a function of different combinations of application parameters. Some of our observations match previously published results that are often neglected, while others underscore less known properties of low-power radios.