Low power lossy networks (LLNs) are designed to enhance network lifetime byminimizing energy consumption. In this research, we focus on the routing pro-tocol for LLNs known as RPL and investigate the impact of different objectivefunctions on energy consumption. Previous studies have highlighted the impor-tance of objective function selection in optimizing energy efficiency in LLNs.However, there is still a need to thoroughly understand the effects of objectivefunctions on energy consumption in RPL. The primary objective of this researchis to compare the energy consumption of different objective functions in RPLfor various node configurations. We specifically evaluate Objective function 0, Minimum Rank Hysteresis Objective Function (MRHOF), MRHOF with energy(MRHOF Energy), and MRHOF with expected transmission (MRHOF ETX).Our research methodology involves simulating LLNs with varying numbers ofnodes and analyzing the energy consumption patterns of the different objectivefunctions. We also investigate the impact of alpha weighting as well as tricklealgorithm on the MRHOF algorithms. The results show that as the number ofnodes increases, the average power consumed gradually rises. Among the objec-tive functions under consideration, MRHOF Energy exhibits the highest powerconsumption, while MRHOF demonstrates the most efficient performance withsignificantly lower power consumption. Furthermore, our findings reveal thatMRHOF offers better energy efficiency compared to other objective functions,including MRHOF Energy and MRHOF ETX. The superiority of MRHOF isconsistent across different node configurations.
However, after experimenting on performance parameter like delay and through-put it is observed that the choice of objective function depends on the specificrequirements and trade-offs of the IoT application, with MRHOF offeringimproved network lifespan, OF0 prioritizing low delay and high throughputin smaller networks, and MRHOF ETX providing a balanced approach forscalability and trade-offs.
The significance of this research lies in its ability to provide valuable insightsinto the influence of objective function selection on energy consumption andperformance in low-power lossy networks (LLN). These findings serve as a guid-ing resource for the development and implementation of energy-efficient routingprotocols. By incorporating the recommendations from this research, LLN per-formance can be enhanced, leading to improved network longevity and overallefficiency. The research outcomes contribute to the advancement of LLN tech-nologies and pave the way for more sustainable and effective network solutionsin various IoT applications.