Adaptive topology control to improve network performance through power and rate adaptation

Adaptive topology control (ATC) is an important and versatile tool in the optimization of wireless networks. ATC can be implemented in different layers of the protocol stack, such as at the physical layer by power control and at the network layer through routing protocols. In this work, ATC is provided by changing the network nodes´ transmission range by controlling transmit power at the physical layer. This leads to a change in both the number of hops that a packet travels and the transmission rates of the links, due to the signal to noise power ratio. The impact of ATC on the network performance is demonstrated through simulation studies employing a standard medium access control protocol and channel models. The simulation studies show that ATC can significantly alter the behavior of the network. It is observed that ATC through power and rate adjustment can improve the network performance by 27% when compared with non-adaptive topology control.