This paper analyzes the energy efficiency of wireless sensor networks using different error control schemes. An analytical model is presented to evaluate the energy efficiency in Nakagami-m fading channels. The model is applied to error control schemes of Bluetooth technology. Some custom error control schemes and adaptive techniques using different FEC and ARQ strategies are analyzed. Performance results are obtained through analysis for networks with different number of hops and fading channel conditions. © 2007 IEEE. 38953900Akyildiz, I.F., Su, W., Sankarasubramaniam, Y., Cayirci, E., A survey on sensor networks (2002) IEEE Communications Magazine, pp. 102-114. , AugustSankarasubramaman, Y., Akyildiz, I.F., Mc Laughlin, S.W., Energy efficiency based packet size optimization in wireless sensor networks (2003) Proc. of Sensor Network Protocols and ApplicationsKarvonen, H., Shelby, Z., Pomala-Ráez, C., Coding for energy efficient wireless embedded networks (2004) Int. Workshop on Wireless Ad-hoc NetworksMeer, J., Nijdam, M., Bijl, M., Adaptive error control in a wireless sensor network using packet importance valuation (2003) Hardware/software co-design, , Enschede, Netherlands, MayKleinschmidt, J.H., Borelli, W.C., Pellenz, M.E., Power efficient error control for Bluetooth-based sensor networks (2005) IEEE Local Computer Networks Conference, , Sydney, Australia, NovemberKleinschmidt, J.H., Borelli, W.C., Pellenz, M.E., Custom error control schemes for energy efficient Bluetooth sensor networks (2006) SBrT/IEEE International Telecommunications Symposium, , Fortaleza, Brazil, SeptemberLiu, H., Ma, H., El Zarki, M., Gupta, S., Error control schemes for networks: An overview (1997) Mobile Networks and Applications, 2, pp. 167-182. , JuneValenti, M.C., Robert, M., Reed, J.H., On the throughput of Bluetooth data transmissions (2002) IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference, , Orlando, USA, MarchSpecifications of the Bluetooth system, , http://www.bluetooth.com, Core Version 1.2, November 2003Mehta, V., El Zarki, M., Bluetooth based sensor network for civil infrastructure health monitoring (2004) Wireless Networks, 10, p. 401412. , Kluwer Academic Publishers, JulyNegri, L., Zanetti, D., Power/performance tradeoffs in Bluetooth sensor networks (2006) Proc. of the 39th Annual Hawaii Int. Conference on System Sciences, , Hawaii, USA, JanuaryZhang, X., Riley, G.R., Energy-aware on-demand scatternet formation and routing for Bluetooth-based wireless sensor networks (2005) IEEE Communications Magazine, 43 (7), pp. 126-133. , JulyValenti, M.C., Robert, M., Custom coding, adaptive rate control and distributed detection for Bluetooth (2002) Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, , Vancouver, BC, SeptemberRaghunathan, V., Schurgers, C., Park, S., Srivastava, M.B., Energy aware wireless micro sensor networks (2002) IEEE Signal Processing, pp. 40-50. , March