Survey of Extended LEACH-Based Clustering Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks (1207.2609v1)

Abstract: An energy efficient routing protocol is the major concern in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). In this survey paper, we present energy efficient hierarchical routing protocols, developed from conventional LEACH routing protocol. Main focus of our study is how these extended protocols work in order to increase the life time and how quality routing protocol are improved for WSNs. Furthermore, this paper also highlights some of the issues faced by LEACH and also explains how these issues are tackled by extended versions of LEACH. We compare the features and performance issues of the selected hierarchal routing protocols.

• The paper surveys and compares key LEACH protocol extensions —Solar-aware LEACH (sLEACH), Multi-hop LEACH, and Mobile-LEACH (M-LEACH) —analyzing their mechanisms for improving energy efficiency and network lifespan in WSNs.
• Key findings indicate sLEACH extends life using solar power, Multi-hop LEACH improves scalability in large networks, and M-LEACH enhances robustness in mobile scenarios compared to basic LEACH.
• The implications suggest these extended protocols offer practical solutions for energy-constrained or dynamic WSN deployments, with potential for further optimization via future advancements like energy harvesting and machine learning.

Analysis of Extended LEACH-Based Clustering Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks

The paper "Survey of Extended LEACH-Based Clustering Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks" provides a comprehensive review and comparison of various adaptations and improvements on the foundational LEACH (Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy) protocol, a fundamental hierarchical routing protocol designed to enhance the energy efficiency and lifespan of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs).

Summary of the Paper

The primary focus of the paper is to investigate hierarchical routing protocols derived from LEACH. LEACH and its derivatives are regarded as benchmarks in energy-efficient cluster-based routing for WSNs. The survey emphasizes the challenges of routing within these networks, including limited battery life, computational overhead, and transmission range. It details the basic operation of LEACH, which involves organizing sensor nodes into clusters, with one node serving as the cluster-head. This cluster-head alone communicates with the base station, significantly reducing the energy consumption of ordinary sensor nodes.

The paper reviews several LEACH extensions:

1. Solar-aware LEACH (sLEACH): Enhances the network's lifetime using solar energy as a supplementary power source. This protocol preferentially selects solar-powered nodes as cluster-heads, thus optimizing energy usage more effectively than basic LEACH.
2. Multi-hop LEACH: Addresses the challenge of long-distance communication between cluster-heads and base stations in large networks. It introduces multi-hop communication through intermediate cluster-heads, thereby conserving the energy of remote clusters.
3. Mobile-LEACH (M-LEACH): Incorporates mobility support for both cluster-heads and non-cluster-head nodes, ensuring robust operation in networks where node mobility is present.

Key Numerical Results and Claims

The paper provides analytical comparisons of energy efficiencies and simulation results highlighting the performance differences between these protocols. Notably, solar-driven nodes in sLEACH lead to increased network lifetimes, especially under conditions with sufficient sunlight. Multi-hop LEACH exhibits better scalability and connectivity when network diameters increase. M-LEACH enhances the operational period by considering residual energy and adapting to network dynamics, notably in scenarios with mobile nodes.

Implications and Future Directions

The implications of these findings are significant for both practical applications and future research in WSNs. Extended LEACH protocols provide a critical solution to the inherent limitations of sensor nodes, primarily their limited energy supply. With the ongoing research in solar energy harvesting and decreasing costs of energy-efficient hardware, sLEACH-like protocols could become standard in future deployments of WSNs in inaccessible or energy-scarce environments. Furthermore, the development of adaptive and robust protocols like M-LEACH reflects future exploration directions in WSNs, especially in urban sensing, environmental monitoring, and field reconnaissance, where node mobility is a critical factor.

Conclusion

This paper's survey and comparative analysis of LEACH-based protocols underscore the importance of energy-efficient routing in enhancing the life cycle and data delivery capabilities of WSNs. The discussed protocols address vital operational challenges and show significant potential for scaling and adapting to various network topologies and energy availabilities. Future work would benefit from leveraging advances in sensor technology and energy harvesting, potentially incorporating machine learning techniques to further optimize cluster-head selection and energy allocation strategies.