MAC finite buffer impact on the performance of cluster-tree based WSNs

Certain Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications such as patient monitoring, smart grid, and equipment condition monitoring require accurate estimation of specific WSN parameters such as end-to-end delay, reliability and power consumption. The estimation of these parameters calls for an accurate and lightweight WSN model that is suitable for the low processing capabilities of sensor nodes. In this paper, we present a Markov-based model for WSNs that considers the impact of inserting a MAC-level finite buffer on the performance of WSNs. We perform a comprehensive performance analysis of the end-to-end delay, reliability and power consumption using different traffic and network conditions in star and cluster-tree WSN topologies. Furthermore, we test the accuracy of our model by conducting extensive simulations in environments that are consistent with the analytical model.