An analytical model of contention in wireless sensor networks using tree routing

Presently, the focus of current research on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is predominantly on contention at the MAC layer, overlooking the traffic characteristics of upper-layer traffic, especially the interaction with the routing traffic. Hence, balancing network adaptation and data throughput is critical in WSN deployments. This paper introduces an analytical model to assess collision probabilities, applicable for evaluating the effectiveness of WSNs using tree routing protocols. It examines collision probabilities across various types of traffic load, including routing and data traffic, highlighting their interconnected influences. The model also employs practical parameters like routing information forwarding rate, acknowledgments, and data rate to enhance applicability. Validation through simulation demonstrates strong alignment between the analytical and simulated results, suggesting the model's efficacy in pre-deployment evaluations of WSN applications. This leads to the belief that the model can be a suitable candidate to evaluate the network performance before deploying WSN applications.