Efficient Data Delivery in Wireless Sensor Networks: Algebraic Cross-layer Optimization Versus CSMA-CA

There are performance deficiencies that hamper the deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in critical monitoring applications. Such applications are characterized by considerable network load generated as a result of sensing some characteristic(s) of the monitored system. Excessive packet collisions lead to packet losses and retransmissions, resulting in significant energy costs and latency. In order to address this issue, we propose an algebraic optimization framework based on Data Transmission Algebra (DTA) that performs collision-aware query scheduling in WSNs. In this paper, we compare our framework with the existing 802.15.4 CSMA-CA scheme. Our simulation-based study shows that DTA considerably outperforms CSMA-CA, allowing the network to operate with sufficient quality of service even at higher data rates and heavy network loads.