Performance Analysis Of Clustering Protocols For Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

The advances in VLSI technologies have made it possible to have integrated devices with processing, storage, sensing, and communication capabilities. These small-scale, low-cost devices when wirelessly connected to form the so called wireless sensor networks open the door of a plethora of commercial and military applications. Extended network lifetime, scalability, and traffic balancing among the nodes in the network are significant requirements for wireless sensor networks. Clustering is one of the effectual techniques for achieving these requirements. This paper surveys, simulates and analyzes well referred clustering protocols which significantly control lifetime of the network. These protocols include Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy, Energy Efficient Hierarchical Clustering, clustering protocol by Indranil et. al., Hybrid Energy Efficient Distributed clustering and Distributed Weight based Energy efficient Hierarchical Clustering. The quantitative and qualitative performance metrics presented in the paper for comparison of the clustering protocols can be used to analyze other clustering protocols. These metrics can also be used as design guidelines for developing new wireless sensor networks clustering protocols.