Optimizing Lifetime and Routing Cost in Wireless Networks

Abstract

This paper presents a new routing approach for wireless networks based on the combination of both lifetime and routing cost. As the nodes in the wireless sensor and ad hoc networks are limited in power, a power failure occurs if a node has insufficient remaining energy to send a message. So, it is important to minimize the energy expenditure as well as to balance the remaining battery power among the nodes. In ad hoc networks, movement of nodes also causes frequent disconnections of routes and thus effects on network stability. Cost effective routing algorithms attempt to minimize the total power needed while lifetime prediction routing algorithms try to balance the remaining energies among the nodes in the networks. However, because of ignoring other parameter, each method fails to achieve the objective of other. The proposed routing protocol suggests a tradeoff between these two parameters, and ensures a balanced utilization to achieve maximum overall performance.