A Hybrid Approach to Enhance Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks with Energy-Efficient Software-Defined Radio Capabilities

• DOI: 10.5555/3108009.3108086
• Publication Date: 2017-02-20
• Authors: Ramiro Utrilla; Alba Rozas; Javier Blesa; Álvaro Araújo
• Keywords: Cognitive network; Spectrum management

The loss of efficiency and dependability in wireless communications, caused by the increasing spectrum scarcity problem, is particularly critical for battery-powered devices such as sensor nodes. Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSNs) arise order to mitigate this situation adding cognitive radio capabilities them. However, closed architecture limited resources traditional nodes represent a major constraint perform certain required tasks. On other hand, Software-Defined Radios (SDRs), which have flexibility performance needed overcome aforementioned limitations, currently power consumption too high these networks. In work, we propose hybrid methodology operation that consists exploiting SDR technology only those actions strictly require its flexibility, using fixed hardware transceivers, demand less node’s resources, remaining Then, present main electronic components platform able operate according methodology. This solution constitutes significant reduction compared with existing low-power SDRs, while maintaining functionality research CWSNs.