Energy-Aware Control of Error Correction Rate for Solar-Powered Wireless Sensor Networks

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) face frequent transmission errors, necessitating reliable data transfer.
• Forward error correction (FEC) enhances reliability but increases energy consumption with longer parity.
• Solar-powered WSNs have variable energy availability due to environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an adaptive FEC scheme for solar-powered WSNs that balances error correction capability with energy constraints.
• To ensure reliable data transmission without compromising network operational time (blackout time).

Main Methods:

• The proposed scheme adaptively adjusts the parity length of FEC based on the node's available energy budget.
• Energy consumption is controlled in accordance with the energy harvesting rate.
• Simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of the adaptive scheme.

Main Results:

• The adaptive FEC scheme successfully adjusts parity length to match energy harvesting rates.
• Error recovery rates are maximized within energy budget constraints, preventing premature network shutdown.
• The proposed scheme demonstrated improved overall data collection in various simulated environments compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive parity length adjustment in FEC is an effective strategy for energy-constrained WSNs.
• This approach optimizes data reliability and network longevity in solar-powered WSNs.
• The findings suggest a practical method for enhancing WSN performance in dynamic energy conditions.