A markov model for investigating the impact of IEEE802.15.4 MAC layer parameters and number of clusters on the performance of wireless sensor networks

In this paper, a new analytical model is presented for cluster-based sensor networks using the non-beacon-enabled mode of IEEE802.15.4 MAC protocol. To accurately investigate the impact of MAC parameters and the number of clusters in the cluster-based networks, a new discrete-time Markov chain model is proposed. To be more realistic and practical, these networks employ time-division multiple access and non-beacon-enabled IEEE 802.15.4 protocols for the intra-cluster and inter-cluster communications, respectively. The model parameters are derived from the characteristics of discrete-time Markov chain models. Three network parameters including packet delivery ratio, packet delay and energy consumption per successful packet transmission are derived from the model for performance evaluation. The results of the proposed model are validated with Monte Carlo simulation results.