Research Article
Debraj Basu*, Gourab Sen Gu
Abstract
In this paper a state-based adaptive power control protocol (SAPC) has been compared with classical fixed power communication for mobile wireless sensors. The distance between the transmitter and the base station is often not fixed as in the case of body wearable sensors. There can also be unaccounted obstructions in between the transmitter and the receiver. Since signal level attenuates with distance, it is important to choose the right power level that will not only deliver the packets with minimum error but conserve energy at the same time. The proposed adaptive algorithm does not transmit beacon or probe packet for channel quality estimation using the received signal strength before transmitting actual packets. It uses the present and past history of the outcome of packet transmission to evaluate and track link quality. The unique SAPC algorithm also controls the number of re-transmissions in each state. Experimental validation has been done using nRF24L01p transceiver modules. This algorithm can adapt itself to an unknown and variable radio channel in an energy-efficient manner. Experiments were conducted in indoor office environment within a university building and results show that SAPC uses up to 30% less energy than the fixed power communication