An energy consumption model of variable preamble sampling MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks

Variable preamble sampling is a technique used for accessing the medium in low-power constrained networks such as wireless sensor networks. We provide an optimal bound for power consumption in preamble sampling techniques, and we present a model of this technique as a function of power consumption and time of radio utilization. We compare our model by means of experimental experiences performed with commercially-available hardware. Our model shows the tendency of the network for constant and variable preamble sampling approaches and may be used to analyze large networks without actually deploying them.