Distributed network configuration in large-scale low power wireless networks

One of key issues in the construction of a large-scale wireless sensor network (WSN) is how to securely allocate a unique address to each node in an energy-efficient manner. However, conventional network configuration mechanisms may suffer from energy inefficiency and/or addressing failure problem when applied to the construction of large-scale WSNs. In this paper, we consider the construction of a large-scale WSN by means of distributed addressing operation. We design a network configuration mechanism that allows each router to have its own addressing space for unique address allocation to its child nodes. We also design a node type selection (i.e., router or end device) algorithm that can allow the whole deployment area to be covered by using a less number of routers (i.e., lower energy consumption) than conventional ones. The proposed mechanism provides at least a neighboring router for each node, enabling to support the network connectivity in a distributed manner. Finally, the performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated by computer simulation, showing significant performance improvement over conventional schemes when applied to the construction of a large-scale WSN.