Wireless transceivers are typically the most power-hungry component in wireless sensor nodes. A closer investigation into the power consumption behavior of these components can lead to the optimization of wireless sensor networks or IoT systems. In this paper, we present an analytical method based on the energy efficiency Figure of Merit (FoM) to estimate the power consumption characteristics of a typical MOSFET-based wireless transceiver. We show that the best energy efficiency can be achieved in a radio transceiver when the energy consumed in the receiving mode is approximately equal to the energy consumed during transmission.@en

There is an increasing demand for sensing and measuring different parameters in vacuum environments. However, using cables for communication and power supply of the sensor nodes in vacuum chambers is not desirable. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of wireless sensor networks in vacuum environments by studying experimentally the reliability of wireless communication through vacuum chamber walls, as well as within vacuum chambers.@en

This work evaluates experimentally the applicability of wireless sensors networks (WSNs) based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for operational modal analysis (OMA) in machine diagnostics. OMA enables the dynamic properties of a mechanical system to be determined based on vibration measurements. A WSN for collecting such measurements requires precise synchronization, the transfer of relatively large volumes of data, and a lifetime of several days or weeks. The higher data rate of BLE 5 (2 Mbps), compared to other prominent radio technologies used in WSNs, offers several advantages, e.g. it could allow a reduction in the overall radio utilization, which generally contributes the most to the power consumption of a sensor node. However, the reliability of BLE 5 links in a machine environment must be assessed to determine the applicability of this radio technology in OMA. This work presents experimental results on the quality of BLE 5 links operating inside an industrial machine which indicate that such links can operate reliably when using a relatively high transmission power (above 0 dBm).

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Selection of an energy efficient wireless transceiver is an important step in the design of any low power wireless system, specifically wireless sensor networks or IoT devices. In this paper, a figure of merit (FoM) for evaluating the energy efficiency of wireless radio transceivers is proposed. Using this FoM, it is possible to easily compare the performance of transceivers built with completely different technologies, in term of energy efficiency. This FoM can be used as a practical tool for researchers and engineers to evaluate wireless transceivers and determine the state-of-the-art or select a desired transceiver.

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Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are gaining increasing popularity in industry. Success of these systems depends on two very important factors: power efficiency of the sensor nodes and communication reliability. In this paper, we investigate the effect of using unidirectional (broadcasting) communication on the power consumption and reliability of a wireless sensor node. A high-precision wireless temperature sensor reported in an earlier publication is employed as a case study. First, we calculate the energy required to transmit and receive a message using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) in the physical layer without taking any reliability precautions. Then, we estimate the amount of energy required for the reliable transmission of a BLE packet using the BLE acknowledgment method and forward error correction (FEC) in the application layer. Through this paper, we show that the power consumption of a wireless temperature sensor can be reduced using broadcast communication and simultaneous forward error correction while providing enough reliability in short ranges.

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