Practical packet combining for use with cooperative and non-cooperative ARQ schemes in resource-constrained wireless sensor networks

An improved implementation of a post-detection packet combining scheme, which is especially applicable to low power, resource-constrained sensor networks, is developed and practically implemented on popular off-the-shelf wireless motes. The algorithm can be used as part of protocols such as cooperative communications and hybrid-ARQ schemes which have been shown to be of major benefit for wireless communications. Using the packet combining implementation developed in this paper more than an 85% reduction in energy costs are possible over previous, similar approaches. Both simulated and practical experiments are developed in which packet combining is shown to offer up to approximately 2.5 dB reduction in the required Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for a desired Packet Error Rate (PER). This is a welcome result as complex schemes, such as maximal-ratio combining, are not implementable on many of the resource constrained devices under consideration.