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. 2009;9(9):6869-96.
doi: 10.3390/s90906869. Epub 2009 Aug 31.

An overview on wireless sensor networks technology and evolution

Chiara Buratti  1 , Andrea Conti, Davide Dardari, Roberto Verdone
Affiliations

An overview on wireless sensor networks technology and evolution

Chiara Buratti et al. Sensors (Basel). 2009.

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) enable new applications and require non-conventional paradigms for protocol design due to several constraints. Owing to the requirement for low device complexity together with low energy consumption (i.e., long network lifetime), a proper balance between communication and signal/data processing capabilities must be found. This motivates a huge effort in research activities, standardization process, and industrial investments on this field since the last decade. This survey paper aims at reporting an overview of WSNs technologies, main applications and standards, features in WSNs design, and evolutions. In particular, some peculiar applications, such as those based on environmental monitoring, are discussed and design strategies highlighted; a case study based on a real implementation is also reported. Trends and possible evolutions are traced. Emphasis is given to the IEEE 802.15.4 technology, which enables many applications of WSNs. Some example of performance characteristics of 802.15.4-based networks are shown and discussed as a function of the size of the WSN and the data type to be exchanged among nodes.

Keywords: IEEE 802.15.4; applications; enabling technologies; wireless sensor networks.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Left part: single-sink WSN. Right part: multi-sink scenario.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Event detection application.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Screenshot of temperature behavior measured during June 2006 by 2 different nodes (red and blue curves, respectively).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The behavior of the battery charge in Volt by passing time, expressed in hours, when photovoltaic panels are used and not.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
ZigBee protocol stack.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Superframe structure.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
The two IEEE 802.15.4-compliant network topologies: star and peer-to-peer topology.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
ZigBee-compliant tree network topology.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
The tracking of the beacon’s parent, performed by a generic child.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
The superframe structure used in the tree-based topology.
Figure 11.
Figure 11.
Throughput measured for a point-to-point 802.15.4 network when one, two three or four routers are present.
Figure 12.
Figure 12.
Throughput as a function of packet size for an 802.15.4 network organised in star and tree-based topologies.
Figure 13.
Figure 13.
The mean energy spent by an 802.15.4 node working in non beacon-enabled mode, belonging to a network of N nodes organised in a star topology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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