Energy Efficient Broadcast with Sectored Antennas in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper we address the problem of energy-efficient broadcast in wireless ad hoc networks. We first extend the broadcast incremental power algorithm (BIP) [4] – an efficient algorithm to construct broadcast trees – to support sectored antennas. Secondly, we simulate and extensively compare the original BIP algorithm with the extended and modified BIP. The simulation shows drastic reduction in the total and average power consumption. Using threesector antennas, for example, results in a 60-65% reduction in power consumption, and using six-sector antennas result in 80-82% power reduction. Moreover, we analyze the effects of sectoring, node density, and various attenuation exponents on the power consumption.