An Efficient Clustering Protocol with Reduced Energy and Latency for Wireless Sensor Networks

The applications in wireless networks deem data gathering as an essential process that intends to increase the lifetime of the network by utilizing energy efficient techniques. Correspondingly, the energy efficiency and network lifetime in wireless sensor network can be enhanced by implementing an efficient technique, Clustering. This paper intends to minimize the energy and latency through efficient clustering protocol (ECP) architecture. In wireless micro-sensor networks, ECP architecture aims at achieving low energy dissipation and latency provided that application specific quality is not sacrificed. The ECP utilizes (i) randomized, adaptive, self - configuring cluster formation (ii) localized control for data transfers and (iii) application - specific data processing, for instance data aggregation or compression to achieve the goal. The cluster formation algorithm produces good clusters as the result by allowing each node to make autonomous decisions. The simulation results demonstrate that this algorithm also reduces overhead to the protocol by reducing the energy and latency for cluster formation.