Energy Efficient Spectrum Aware Distributed Cluster-Based Routing in Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks

Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks (CRSNs) have become an integral portion of the new generation of smart Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) technology. Moreover, efficient clustering and routing could enhance the network performance by taking into account the stability and connectivity of the network that expands the network's lifetime. In this paper, we propose a scheme that aims to construct an energy-efficient clustering for CRSNs through saving the intra-communication energy between nodes into the cluster, in addition to the inter-communication energy between Cluster Head (CH) nodes to the Base Station (BS). The scheme utilizes evaluation criteria to define the CH node for each cluster by calculating a weight value for each node, and depending on the maximum weight value for nodes, the CH is picked. Moreover, to establish a route between CHs, we consider common channels between them plus the shortest distance from cluster heads to the sink. In this way, clustering and routing could enhance the network performance and extend the lifetime. To corroborate the proposed scheme, extensive simulations in MATLAB were carried out and the results of the simulation showed the superiority of the proposed technique over other algorithms in terms of the network's lifetime.