A rate-based scheme for minimizing the cost of wireless sensor networks

Heterogeneity in wireless sensor network were discussed in previous work. Link heterogeneity in wireless sensor network is studied here to minimize the financial cost of the network. This paper introduces a technique for reducing the cost of static wireless sensor networks by replacing some of the nodes in the network that have both transmit and receive capability with transmit only nodes. During the network design phase, the optimal information flows that maximize network lifetime are calculated. The nodes that are not playing a significant role as relays for the traffic of other nodes are then selected to be replaced with a node that is transmit only. Network simulations illustrate that this technique can significantly reduce network cost with a relatively minor degradation in network lifetime.