Exploiting cognitive wireless nodes for priority‐based data communication in terrestrial sensor networks

A priority-based data communication approach, developed by employing cognitive radio capacity for sensor nodes in a wireless terrestrial sensor network (TSN), has been proposed. Data sensed by a sensor node—an unlicensed user—were prioritized, taking sensed data importance into account. For data of equal priority, a first come first serve algorithm was used. Non-preemptive priority scheduling was adopted, in order not to interrupt any ongoing transmissions. Licensed users used a nonpersistent, slotted, carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) technique, while unlicensed sensor nodes used a nonpersistent CSMA technique for lossless data transmission, in an energy-restricted, TSN environment. Depending on the analytical model, the proposed wireless TSN environment was simulated using Riverbed software, and to analyze sensor network performance, delay, energy, and throughput parameters were examined. Evaluating the proposed approach showed that the average delay for sensed, high priority data was significantly reduced, indicating that maximum throughput had been achieved using wireless sensor nodes with cognitive radio capacity.