Low Power Design Techniques for Wireless Sensor Networks

WSNs can be applied in several areas for the monitoring and control of variables. In the design process of a WSN, one of the most important design objectives is to minimize the energy required for sensing, signal processing and communication tasks to extend the lifetime of the network. This chapter discusses a broad variety of schemes used to reduce power consumption in WSNs. The design of sensors nodes involves several core aspects, such as supported sensors, the communication interface, applications, the control system and peripherals. Strategies to preserve the energy used by each of these components are discussed. A specific scheme using digital signal processing to reduce power consumption by decreasing the number of transmissions is proposed. The chapter also considers protocol architectures, focusing on link layer, network layer, and cross-layer approaches. Finally, a comparative analysis among the main techniques is presented.