Packet loss analysis in wireless sensor networks routing protocols

In this paper we analyze the importance of packet loss consideration (PLC) within inter node communication of a WSN. We evaluate the link quality between network nodes based on the link packet loss and not on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI). Our assessment is based on in field measurements obtained using the IRIS Crossbow WSN. The measurements are used to show the impact of packet loss in a known routing protocol for WSNs, LEACH. We propose a network initialization phase where all nodes gather information about the link packet loss from all neighbors. Using this information each node will choose the attending cluster head (CH) based on the smallest packet loss rather than on the highest RSSI. Matlab simulations show that considering packet loss in choosing the best communication path has a significant impact on reducing the energy consumption of the network as well as increasing network throughput.