Influence of the antenna characteristics on the sensor network performance

In this paper, the influence of the antenna characteristics on the features of sensor networks is analyzed and discussed. The directivity and efficiency effects are introduced through equivalent distances, which take into account both Friis and Two Ray-Ground models, for small and large separations. Apart from the radiant characteristics, other design parameters, such as the network density or the sensor coverage range, are considered for the study. Results demonstrate that a small decrease in the antenna efficiency may produce a high degradation of the network performance. Furthermore, the more omnidirectional the antenna is, the better the performance is, at least when the network is well connected. Besides, results contribute to identify some trade-offs to bear in mind when designing sensor networks.