Node level energy consumption analysis in 6LoWPAN network using real and emulated Zolertia Z1 motes

In IPv6 Over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN) the network reliability, availability and lifespan depends on the energy consumed by the wireless sensor motes as well as the network as a whole. In order to improve the aforementioned parameters the energy consumption must be kept at minimum. The mote and network level energy consumption is evaluated, analyzed for real and emulated Zolertia Z1 motes so as to know the factors on which it depends. The mote level energy consumption is evaluated based on the amount of current drawn and the supply voltage for the time spent by the mote in processing, transmitting and receiving the packets. To ease the evaluation on per mote basis a small scale 6LoWPAN is considered. The network level energy consumption is evaluated based on the routing protocol overhead, the neighbor discovery protocol (NDP) overhead, the received signal strength indication (Received Signal Strength Indication), the positions of the motes, the percentage duty cycle and various states of motes like processing, receiving and transmitting. Three major observations are drawn from the experiments and simulations; First, maximum energy is consumed at the mote level in receiving state and found to be higher than that in transmitting and processing states on an average by 10.94 and 27.24 percent respectively. Second, energy consumed at the network level depends on the composite effect of the received signal strength, average overhead bytes in control as well as in data packets, the percentage duty cycle of the motes and activities carried out by the motes in various states. Third, the data transmission efficiency of the motes depends on the received signal strengths.