Propagation model alternatives for outdoor Wireless Sensor Networks

Modeling propagation in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a vital issue in system design and analysis. Energy efficiency, routing performance, Quality-of-Service, coverage and almost all aspects of WSNs are inherently related with the employed propagation model. Yet, in WSN research, even after more than a decade long continuing and widening research history, very simplistic and impractical propagation models are still utilized. In this paper, we briefly provide the necessary background on propagation modeling and concisely overview experimentally verified propagation models for WSNs.