Performance of UWB Sensor Networks based on Aloha Multiple Access with Mixed Packet Rates

The performance of an Aloha multi-hop sensor network based on Ultrawideband (UWB) devices is evaluated in terms of the average link outage probability and the aggregate network throughput for different coverage radius of the UWB sensor. The sensor network architecture is based on the creation of multi-hop routes using intermediate nodes for each source-destination pair. Packets transmission at each node follows a Poisson distribution and traffic with mixed packet rates is considered. Worst case performances are obtained using a semianalytical procedure that allows to account for multiple access interference and realistic propagation conditions. The proposed calculation procedure can be used for sensor network design based on multi-hop Aloha as well as for the analysis of an existing installation. The importance of the coverage radius on the performance of the UWB sensor network is discussed.