Abstract: Some problems on the strategy of the self-configuring carrier sensing threshold are discussed, which aims at energy-efficiency in wireless sensor networks. To measure the performance of collision avoidance and throughput achieved under different carrier sensing ranges, the Sensing Effectiveness Index and the Sensing Cost Index are first introduced. In addition, with an assumption of the Gaussian noise, the stochastic background noise causing that medium is determined mistakenly under fixed carrier sense thresholds are analyzed. Finally, a basic idea of self-configuring carrier sensing threshold is proposed, which is the tradeoff of the effects on the network performance of the carrier sensing range and stochastic noise.

Key words: Wireless Sensor Networks, Energy-efficiency, Physical Carrier Sensing threshold