EnvAdapt: An Energy-Aware Simulation Framework for Power-Scalable Transceivers for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract:
Wireless transceivers must perform adequately when the channel conditions are in worst case. However, when signal and interference conditions are favorable, the transceiver may consume more energy than required. Therefore, a reconfigurable transceiver (transmitter + receiver), able to adjust its corresponding power consumption to the time-varying signal and interference conditions, could have a decisive impact on the lifetime of the sensor node. In this paper, novel strategies for receiver reconfiguration are presented. Secondly a simulation framework for wireless sensor networks (WSN), EnvAdapt, equipped with reconfigurable transceiver models and an enhanced bit-level signal to noise-plus interference-ratio module, is proposed. Finally, via EnvAdapt, WSN scenarios are considered to show that the receiver reconfiguration can help reduce power consumption, thus extending the lifetime of the sensor node.