Abstract: In wireless sensor networks(WSNs) , the energy supply, storage capacity and computation power of sensor node are constrained. Furthermore, the irregular link and variable topology are common. Hence, it is difficult to design and implement a reliable and energy efficient network protocol. Well-designed network protocol can not only reduce network load, but also help to save energy of sensor nodes, therefore prolonging the network life. In this paper, an informalion dissemination protocol based on RS erasure codes was proposed and implemented in TinyOS platform, which is a widely used operating system in WSNs. We analyzed the performance of the protocol in theory for single hop case, and we also made a performance comparison with flood information dissemination protocol in the I}OSSIM. I}he simulation results show that the proposed information dissemination protocol based on RS erasure codes obviously reduces the number of packets to transmit, improves the packet delivery ratio, and saves network energy consumption.

Key words: Wireless sensor networks,Information dissemination protocol,RS erasure codes