Cross-Layer Strategies for Throughput Maximization in a Data Aggregating Wireless Network

Abstract—We consider an ad hoc wireless network where all nodes have data to send to a single destination node called the sink. We consider a linear placement of the wireless nodes with the sink at one end. We assume that the wireless nodes transfer data to the sink using single hop direct transmission and that the nodes are scheduled one at a time by a central scheduler (possibly the sink). In this setup, we assume that the wireless nodes are power limited and our network objective (notion of fairness) is to maximize the minimum throughput of a node subject to the individual node power constraints. In this work, we consider network designs that permit different node transmission time, node transmission power and node placements, and study cross-layer strategies that seek to maximize the minimum node throughput. Using simulations, we characterize the performance of the different strategies and comment on their applicability for various network scenarios. I