Reliability analysis of underwater sensor network packet transmission

Underwater sensor networks pose unique challenges to the design of reliable communication. Due to the high bit error rates experienced in this environment, achieving a compromise between reliability and energy efficiency has become a fundamental problem. In this paper, an objective metric to analyze the reliability of various packet transmission methods available for use in underwater sensor networks is developed. Earlier frameworks comparing competing alternatives have made the simplifying assumption that loss rat e is homogeneous across the entire network. Such a simplification contradicts the fact that wireless sensor networks exhibit properties such as link asymmetry and are also influenced by phenomenon like radio irregularity. In light of these realities, it is necessary to relax the existing modeling assumptions to produce a more general framework for assessing the various potential solutions. Drawing on concepts from network reliability theory, measures of network system performance are derived. Application of the framework suggests that hop-by-hop forward error correction performs better than end-to-end forward error correction and single-path forwarding.