Power Optimal Connectivity and Capacity in Wireless Sensor Networks

Power conservation is an issue of primary concern in wireless sensor networks. Since the nodes deployed have limited battery power higher transmit powers would lead to an earlier end of the nodes/network lifetime. The network deployed has to have a good connectivity level to ensure uniformity through out the network and avoid the circumstances leading to a very early lifetime end of some of the nodes in the network. We have investigated the effects of transmit power to enhance the connectivity among the network as a whole and to improve the capacity of the network. The increased transmit power can effectively contribute to enhanced transport capacity. The number of nodes deployed would also affect the appropriate transmit power to be chosen since an increase in the density of network deployed would require a lower transmit power to be chosen which is crucial for the prolonging of network lifetime. The maintenance of connectivity among the network would need higher transmit power among the nodes as some nodes are lost in the network as a result of battery exhaustion.