This paper- studies different error control schemes in wireless sensor networks with Bluetooth technology. The tradeoff between reliability and energy consumption of Bluetooth packets are analyzed, using different error control techniques, such as retransmission and channel coding The AUX1 packet is utilized for custom coding and also are proposed adaptive techniques based on the number of hops of the network. The wireless channel is modeled with Rayleigh fading. The results obtained may be used as references to determine the packet type in a sensor application. © 2005 IEEE.2005 284291Akyildiz, I.F., Su, W., Sankarasubramaniam, Y., Cayirci, E., A survey on sensor networks (2002) IEEE Communications Magazine, pp. 102-114. , AugustSpecifications of the bluetooth system (2003) Core Version 1.2, , http://www.bluetooth.com, NovemberKasten, O., Langheinrich, M., First experiences with Bluetooth in the smart-its distributed sensor network (2001) Workshop on Ubiquitous Computing and Communications, , Barcelona, Spain, SeptemberLeopold, M., Dydensborg, M.D., Bonnet, P., Bluetooth and sensor networks: A reality check (2003) 1 st ACM Conference on Sensor Systems, , Los Angeles, CA, USA, NovemberMehta, V., El Zarki, M., Bluetooth based sensor network for civil infrastructure health monitoring (2004) Wireless Networks, 10, pp. 401-412. , Kluwer Academic Publishers, JulySaginbekov, S., Korpeoglu, I., An energy efficient scatternet formation algorithm for Bluetooth-based sensor networks (2005) 2 nd European Workshop on Wireless Sensor Networks, , Istanbul, Turkey, FebruaryMathias, H., Jan, D., Dirk, T., Energy-efficient data collection for Bluetooth-based sensor networks (2004) IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, , Italy, MayValenti, M.C., Robert, M., Reed, J.H., On the throughput of Bluetooth data transmissions (2002) IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference, , Orlando, USA, MarchValenti, M.C., Robert, M., Custom coding, adaptive rate control and distributed detection for Bluetooth (2002) Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, , Vancouver, BC, SeptemberMeer, J., Nijdam, M., Bijl, M., Adaptive error control in a wireless sensor network using packet importance valuation (2003) Hardware/software Co-design, , Enschede, Netherlands, MayProakis, J., (2001) Digital Communications, , New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 4 th editionKleinschmidt, J.H., Pellenz, M.E., Lima Jr., L.A.P., Evaluating and improving Bluetooth piconet performance over Nakagami-m fading channels (2004) Proc. of the Ninth IEEE International Symposium on Computers and Communications, , Alexandria, Egypt, JulyDesset, C., Fort, A., Selection of channel coding for low-power wireless systems (2003) Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, , Jeju, Korea, April