Cross-Layer Design in Wireless Sensor Networks

New and diverse applications for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have led to new challenges. Cross-layer approaches have proven to be the most efficient optimization techniques for these problems, since they are able to take the behavior of the protocols at each layer into consideration to overcome the constraints for WSNs. Thus, this chapter focuses on identifying the core problems of WSNs and collects available cross layer solutions for them that have been proposed. The literature on cross-layer protocols, protocol improvements, and design methodologies for WSNs are reviewed, and a taxonomy is proposed in order to provide insights on the identification of cross-layer design in WSNs. The open issues are discussed in detail for future research, and precautionary guidelines for cross layer design to WSNs are indicated.