Evaluating the Power-Efficient Communication Technique (PECT) for Energy Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks

The evaluation of the Power-Efficient Communication Technique (PECT) involves a two-step process. First, a custom C program calculates optimal transmission powers for each sensor node based on the network size (Qn) and data packet frequency (FPkt), aiming to minimize energy consumption while ensuring reliable communication. These powers are then implemented in the Castalia network simulator, chosen for its accurate modeling of wireless channels and energy consumption. Simulations track metrics like energy use and successful packet transmission. Results show PECT maintains over 90% data packet reception, though -25 dBm power sees increased packet loss. PECT achieves similar power consumption to -15 dBm, with only 1.82% higher consumption, and offers a 36.7% energy savings per node compared to 0 dBm, especially notable with Qn = 8. Beyond the Low Transmission Power Duty (LTPD), CPU and peripheral power consumption rise significantly at higher frequencies. PECT’s simplicity, portability, and node independence make it suitable for any network topology, demonstrating its potential for energy-efficient WSN communication.