Network coding over connected dominating set: energy minimal broadcasting in wireless ad hoc networks

Energy efficient broadcast is indispensable for many applications in wireless ad hoc networks. It has been proved that network coding has great potential to improve performance in terms of energy consumption in wireless ad hoc networks. However, the power of network coding depends on the availability of coding opportunities, which in turns depends on how routing paths are established. It is thus beneficial to establish paths in such a way that more coding opportunities are created. By combining network coding and connected dominating set (CDS), we explore energy minimal broadcast protocols in wireless ad hoc networks. The rationale behind this combination is that CDS provides better chances for data flows to intersect, which means more coding opportunities. We design a scheme, named NCDS, that uses network coding over connected dominating set, to reduce energy consumption. Analysis and experimental results show that NCDS outperforms broadcast algorithms that use CDS or network coding alone.