Most architectures of wireless sensor networks (WSN) are built as homogeneous networks

where all sensor nodes have the same structure.But it is not suitable for cluster-based WSN.By using multi-antenna sensor nodes as cluster heads in wireless sensor networks

we import MIMO and SIMO communication modes into inter-cluster layer and inner-cluster layer when sensor nodes communicate with the head.We introduce the basic communication modes in inhomogeneous networks and discuss the realization.The power consumption and delay model of MIMO-based sensor networks are given.We verify that this model is better than homogeneous networks by analysis and simulations.