Communication paradigms for sensor networks

When compared with now classical MANETs, sensor networks have different characteristics, and present different design and engineering challenges. One of the main aspects of sensor networks is that the solutions tend to be very application-specific. For this reason, a layered view like the one used in OSI imposes a large penalty, and implementations more geared toward the particular are desirable. This survey presents the three main paradigms for communication in ad hoc networks and discusses their applicability for routing, querying, and discovery. We conclude that the node-centric approach, although the oldest and best understood, is not the most appropriate for large-size low-energy application-specific sensor networks.