Performance analysis of an experimental wireless relay sensor network

Communication through relay channels in wireless sensor networks can create diversity and consequently improve robustness of data transmission for ubiquitous computing and networking applications. In this paper, we investigate the performances of relay channels in terms of diversity gain and throughput via both experimental research and theoretical analysis. Two relaying algorithms, dynamic relaying and fixed relaying, are utilized and tested to find out what the relay channels can contribute to system performances. The tests are based on a wireless relay sensor network comprising a source node, a destination node and dedicated relay nodes, and carried out in an indoor environment with rare movement of objects nearby. The tests confirm, in line with the analytical results, that more relay nodes lead to higher diversity gain in the network. The test results also show that the data throughput between the source node and the destination node is enhanced by the presence of the relay nodes...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: CONCURRENCY
• Authors: Gu-Chun Zhang, Xiao-Hong Peng, Xuan-Ye Gu
• Keywords: CONCURRENCY 2010, Diversity Gain, Relay Channels, Sensor Network