The DCAS algorithm for differential management of nodes in heterogeneous WSN

In recent years, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for monitoring is gradually becoming a very promising solution in the commercial and industrial fields. One of its primary characteristics is the heterogeneity of nodes in the network. The existing network protocols, such as IEEE802.15.4, don´t provide an effective mechanism of differential management for the heterogeneous multi-hop network, in which most of the nodes consume more energy on network management than data transmission, and the working life of nodes tends to be limited. To solve these problems, we propose a low-complexity scheduling algorithm, called Differentiated Cycle-Allocation and Scheduling (DCAS), which allocates different work cycles to nodes based on the amount of data, communication frequency and location of the node and its child-nodes. The simulation results show that DCAS algorithm can reduce the energy consumption of nodes, prolong the lifetime of network, optimize the proportion of energy distribution, and achieve the purpose of differential management of nodes in heterogeneous network.