Cross-layer design of cluster formation and power allocation in IR-UWB sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are usually deployed for specific purposes. A cross-layer design of networking algorithms adapted to the considered application can significantly improve overall performance metrics. In this paper, distributed signal detection in IR-UWB sensor networks with severe resource constraints is considered. The presented algorithms for power assignment aim at minimizing the energy necessary to meet an overall detection performance by exploiting dependencies between application and physical layer. To account for a limited transmission range of the sensor nodes, the approach is furthermore combined with an application-specific formation of node clusters which allows for a hierarchical transmission of the sensor decisions to a fusion center. Numerical results validate that this cross-layer approach leads to substantial energy savings compared to uniform power assignment.