An efficient multi-level clustering approach for a heterogeneous wireless sensor network using link correlation

The key issue in determining the lifetime of wireless sensor network (WSN) is the energy burning up of individual node. The cluster based routing improves the energy usage of WSN compared to other routing approach. In this paper, an effective multi-level cluster algorithm using link correlation is proposed for heterogeneous WSN. The level-k hierarchy with single-hop communication between nodes within a cluster is achieved using link correlation. The heterogeneous nodes are adopted as level-k cluster heads and implementing network coding on those nodes increases network lifetime significantly. Meanwhile, implementing time division multiple access (TDMA) technique within a cluster creates an organized cluster architecture improving the energy efficiency.