Optimal transmit power in wireless sensor networks using MRC space diversity in presence of shadow fading
Arnab Nandi, Dipen Bepari, Sumit Kundu · 2010
In wireless sensor networks (WSN) nodes are powered by limited lifetime batteries. Excessive high transmit power exhaust battery faster and increases inter-node interference significantly. On the other hand, low transmit power may cause network disconnectivity. Thus choice of transmit power is an important issue. Optimal transmit power is the minimum power required to sustain the network connectivity while maintaining a predefined maximum tolerable Bit Error Rate (BER) in WSN. In this paper, the effects of shadowing is investigated on the optimal transmit power. Further, a modified square grid network architecture model is used employing Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) space diversity to compensate the effects of fading. Use of MRC space diversity in shadow fading channel shows a significant reduction in optimal common transmit power.