Connectivity, Energy and Mobility Driven Clustering Algorithm for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In the context of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) routing, we propose a clustering algorithm called Connectivity, Energy and Mobility driven Clustering Algorithm (CEMCA). The aim of CEMCA consists in appropriately choosing the cluster head to reduce routing overhead. In order to reduce traffic and energy consumption, the control messages are sent only when needed, according to the speed of the node. Each node has a quality that indicates its suitability as a cluster head. This quality takes into account the node connectivity, battery energy and mobility. These parameters are very important for the stability of the cluster. Simulation experiments are carried out to validate our algorithm in terms of stability of the clusters and their members and the quality of the connectivity. The results are compared to a previous approach called Weight Clustering Algorithm (WCA) and they show that CEMCA is performing better.