Energy-efficient network design via modelling: optimal designing point for energy, reliability, coverage and end-to-end delay

Considering that practical wireless sensor networks are mostly built upon energy-constrained sensor nodes, network lifetime becomes a key deployment factor for sustainability of such networks initiating an attempt for prolonging the lifetime. Adopting a new multi-mode switching protocol for sensor nodes between active and sleep states, in this study, the authors propose a new mathematical method using an embedded simulation-based computing of an energy-efficient strategy performance metric to maintain resiliency of the network against side effects appearing in duty-cycling protocols. Here, the authors use a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate network reliability. Then the proposed mathematical model enables us to build a decision for optimised performance upon trade-offs between consumed energy, reliability, coverage intensity and end-to-end delays by locating a network´s operational points. The authors show the trade-off operational significance of the model against the percentage of sleeping probability via some design factors including figure of merit.