Quality of Service-Based Cross-Layer Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSN) are used for perceiving, monitoring, and controlling a wide range of applications. Owing to the small size of sensor nodes and limited power sources, energy saving is critical for ensuring network longevity. Protocols in different layers consume energy for their function. It is possible to significantly reduce energy usage by including energy-efficiency measures in the protocol design. Most protocols in the literature focus on the energy efficiency in individual layers. Recent studies have shown that cross-layer designs are more energy efficient than individual layer designs. Therefore, this study presents a cross-layer protocol design that combines network and data link layers to minimize energy consumption. This article proposes a novel "Quality of Service Based Cross-layer (QSCL) Protocol" by combining the IEEE 802.15.4-based MAC protocol and the LEACH-based routing protocol. The dynamic duty cycle of the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol was modified based on the amount of data present in the node, which minimized the energy consumption of the data-transfer mechanism. The cluster head (CH) selection of the LEACH-based protocol was modified to consider the average residual energy (RE) of the nodes and their distance from the sink. This helps preserve the energy in the CH, thereby extending the network lifetime. Simulation studies demonstrated that the proposed QSCL outperformed the existing protocols by prolonging the network lifetime.