Jong Suk Ahn , Jong Hyuk Yoon , Young Su Lee

The KIPS Transactions:PartC, Vol. 13, No. 7, pp. 803-812, Dec. 2006
10.3745/KIPSTC.2006.13.7.803,   PDF Download:

Abstract

This paper analytically evaluates the FEC(Forward Error Correction) symbol size’s effect on the performance and energy consumption of 802.11 protocol with the block FEC algorithm over WSN(Wireless Sensor Network). Since the basic recovery unit of block FEC algorithms is symbols not bits, the FEC symbol size affects the packet correction rate even with the same amount of FEC check bits over a given WSN channel. Precisely, when the same amount of FEC check bits are allocated, the small-size symbols are effective over channels with frequent short bursts of propagation errors while the large ones are good at remedying the long rare bursts. To estimate the effect of the FEC symbol size, the paper at first models the WSN channel with Gilbert model based on real packet traces collected over TIP50CM sensor nodes and measures the energy consumed for encoding and decoding the RS (Reed-Solomon) code with various symbol sizes. Based on the WSN channel model and each RS code's energy expenditure, it analytically calculates the transmission efficiency and power consumption of 802.11 equipped with RS code. The computational analysis combined with real experimental data shows that the RS symbol size makes a difference of up to 4.2% in the transmission efficiency and 35% in energy consumption even with the same amount of FEC check bits.

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