Introduction To

Wireless Sensor Networks

 Wireless Sensor Networks
A wireless sensor network is a collection of
nodes organized into a cooperative network.
Each node consists of processing capability.
It may contain multiple types of memory,
have an RF transceiver, have a power source
(e.g., batteries and solar cells) and
accommodates various sensors.
Wireless Sensor Networks
Communication Network

A communication network is composed of

nodes, each of which has computing power
and can transmit and receive messages over
communication links, wireless or cabled.
 Basic Network Topologies
 Star Topology
 Ring Topology
 Bus Topology
 Tree Topology
 Fully Connected Networks
 Mesh Networks
 Star Topology
All nodes of the star topology are connected to a single
hub node. The hub requires greater message handling,
routing, and decision-making capabilities than the other
nodes. If a communication link is cut, it only affects one
node. However, if the hub is incapacitated the network
is destroyed.
 Ring Topology
In the ring topology all nodes perform the
same function and there is no leader node.
Messages generally travel around the ring in
a single direction. However, if the ring is
cut, all communication is lost.
 Bus Topology
In the bus topology, messages are broadcast
on the bus to all nodes. Each node checks
the destination address in the message
header, and processes the messages
addressed to it.
 Tree Topology
In Tree Topology there will be a root node
and the root node has two branches. Each
branch may again contains branches and so
on.
 Fully-connected Network
In a fully connected Network when
additional nodes are added, the number of
links increases exponentially.
 Mesh Network
Mesh networks are regularly distributed
networks that generally allow transmission
only to a node’s nearest neighbors. The
nodes in these networks are generally
identical.

Mesh nets can be good models for large-

scale networks of wireless sensors that
are distributed over a geographic region.
 Communication Network continue …

A single network may consist of several

interconnected subnets of different
topologies. Networks are further classified as
Local Area Networks (LAN), e.g. inside one
building, or Wide Area Networks (WAN), e.g.
between buildings.
 Wireless Sensor Networks
A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a
wireless network consisting of spatially
distributed autonomous devices using
sensors to cooperatively monitor physical or
environmental conditions, such as
temperature, sound, vibration, pressure,
motion or pollutants, at different locations.
Why Now?
 Commoditization of radio hardware
 Cellular and cordless phones, wireless
communication
 (some radio pictures, etc.)
 Low cost -> many/tiny -> new applications!

 Real application for ad-hoc network research

from the late 90’s

 Coming together of EE + CS+EC

communities
 Wireless Sensor Networks continue …
The development of wireless sensor networks
was originally motivated by military applications
such as battlefield surveillance. However,
wireless sensor networks are now used in many
civilian application areas, including environment
and habitat monitoring, healthcare applications,
home automation, and traffic control.
 Networks of typically small, battery-powered,
wireless devices.
 On-board processing,

 Communication, and

 Sensing capabilities.
 continue …

In addition to one or more sensors, each node in

a sensor network is typically equipped with a
radio transceiver or other wireless
communications device, a small microcontroller,
and an energy source, usually a battery.
Sensor Network
Antenna
Server
Interface
electronics, radio
and microcontroller

Soil moisture
Sensor field
probe
Communications Mote
barrier

Gateway

Internet
 Mote Operation
Information
Transmitted

Data Processed

A/
Transceiver D Sensor
D/
A
Retrieving/ Microcontroll Event
Storing Data er Detected

External
Memory Sensor

 A very low cost low power computer

 Monitors one or more sensors
 A Radio Link to the outside world
 Are the building blocks of Wireless Sensor Networks
(WSN)
Sensor Node
 Motes
Mica Mote 4Mhz, 8 bit Atmel RISC
uProc
40 kbit Radio
4 K RAM, 128 K Program
Flash, 512 K Data Flash
AA battery pack
Mica2Dot
Based on TinyOS

21
 Microcontroller
 Main processing units of embedded devices
 Special purpose and highly integrated
 Integrated RAM, ROM, I/O, peripherals
 Extremely good power to performance ratio

Cheap, typically 0.25 - 10.00 USD
 Executes programs including embedded
system control, measurement &
communications
 Usually time-critical requiring guarantees deadlines
 Real-time performance a must in most applications

Pre-emptive scheduled tasks
 Motes vs. Traditional Computing

 Adhoc Radio Communication

 Sensing Hardware
 Severe Power Constraints

23
Computer Revolution

Original IBM PC (1981) MICAZ Mote (2005)

4.77 MHz 4 MHz
16-256 KB RAM 128 KB RAM
160 KB Floppies 512 KB Flash
~ $6K (today) ~ $35
~ 64 W ~14 mW
25 lb, 19.5 x 5.5 x 16 inch 0.5 oz, 2.25 x 1.25 x 0.25 inch
 Sensor Devices & Capabilities
Sensing Capabilities
Xbow’s
Mica
• Light
• Temperature
UC-Berkeley
• Humidity mica2dot
• Pressure
• Wind Speed
Xbow’s
• Soil Moisture Telos
• Location

Xbow’
UC- s i-
Riverside mote2
RISE
 Network Model for WSN
A wireless sensor network consists of
hundreds or thousands of low cost nodes
which could either have a fixed location or
randomly deployed to monitor the
environment. The flowing of data ends at
special nodes called base stations
(sometimes they are also referred to as
sinks).
 Network Model for WSN continue …

A base station links the sensor network to

another network (like a gateway) to
disseminate the data sensed for further
processing. Base stations have enhanced
capabilities over simple sensor nodes since
they must do complex data processing.
 Network Model for WSN continue …

This justifies the fact that bases stations

have workstation/laptop class processors,
and of course enough memory, energy,
storage and computational power to perform
their tasks well.
 Usage of Sensor Networks
Environmental Observation:
Sensor networks can be used to monitor
environmental changes. An example could be water
pollution detection in a lake that is located near a
factory that uses chemical substances. Sensor nodes
could be randomly deployed in unknown and hostile
areas and relay the exact origin of a pollutant. Other
examples include forest fire detection, air pollution
and rainfall observation in agriculture.
Environmental applications
 Forest fire detection
 Bio complexity mapping of the environment
 Flood detection

Pollutants monitored by sensors in the river

ST

Sensors report to the base monitoring station

Environmental Applications

Deployment Of Nodes
Forest Fire Detection
 Usage of Sensor
Military Monitoring:
Networks continue …

Military uses sensor networks for battlefield

surveillance; sensors could monitor
vehicular traffic, track the position of the
enemy.
Military applications

 Monitoring friendly forces, equipment and

ammunition
 Battlefield surveillance
 Battle damage assessment
Military Application
 Usage of Sensor
Building Monitoring:
Networks continue …

Sensors can also be used in large buildings

or factories monitoring climate changes.
Thermostats and temperature sensor nodes
are deployed all over the building’s area. In
addition, sensors could be used to monitor
vibration that could damage the structure of
a building.
Monitoring Application
 Structural Health
Monitoring

Model bridge with attached wireless sensors

Semi-active Hydraulic Damper
38
 Usage
Healthcare:
of Sensor Networks continue …

Sensors can be used in biomedical

applications to improve the quality of the
provided care. Sensors are implanted in the
human body to monitor medical problems
like cancer and help patients maintain their
health.
Health applications
 Tele-monitoring of human physiological
data
 Tracking and monitoring patients and
doctors inside a hospital
 Drug administration in hospitals
Sensors equipped
with Blue Tooth
 Plant applications

Plant applications include video, voice, mobility, tracking

Wireless Control System for centralized network and security
management
 Wide Ranging Applications

Bio-habitat monitoring Industrial monitoring

Disaster management Home/building security

42
 How Does a node Communicate..?

Gateway

1. Node X determines an event at its location.

2. Listen to neighbors

3. Connect to neighbors

4. Neighbor uses NETWORK to pass message up to gateway

5. Gateway determines optimized schedule

6. Schedule is flooded to the devices

Query scenario
Sink
Select
temp from
Data Collecting
 A mobile entity present in the
environment that will pick up
data from the mote when in
range, buffer it, and drop off
the data at base station
 ex: People, Vehicles, Livestock
 Data Collecting
Leaf Node

Base Station

Data Mule
Data Collecting
Data Collecting

Base Station
Applications
 Collecting a data in a sparse
sensor network
 Tracking movement of mobile
elements
 Vehicles
 Livestock
 Wild Animals
Data Collecting

Base Station
 Multihop Networking
 Standard implementation “tree
Problems: based routing” A
B B
Parent Selection R:{…} R:{…}
Asymmetric Links
Adaptation vs. Stability B
B B
C
B B B
Node D Node C R:{…}
Neigh Neigh
Qual Qual D B R:{…}
B .75 A .5
C .66 B .44
R:{…}
B B B
E .45 D .53 F
F .82 F .35 E 51
B
 Geographic Routing
 Any-to-any routing via geographic
coordinates
•Requires
coordinate system*
B
•Requires endpoint
coordinates
A •Hard to route
around local
minima
 Tree-based Routing
Q:SELECT …
 Tree-based routing A
 Used in: Q Q

Query delivery R:{…} R:{…}

Data collection Q

In-network aggregation B Q
C
 Relationship to
indexing? Q Q Q
R:{…}
D Q R:{…}
R:{…}
Q Q Q
F
E Q

53
 Illustration: Aggregation
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM sensors Interval 4
Sensor #
1
Epoch
1 2 3 4 5

4 1 2 3
Interval #

2
4
1
1
4
5
 Illustration: Aggregation
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM sensors Interval 3
Sensor #
1
1 2 3 4 5

4 1 2 3
Interval #

3 2
2
2
4
1

4
5
 Illustration: Aggregation
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM sensors Interval 2
Sensor #
1
1 2 3 4 5 1 3
4 1 2 3
Interval #

3 2

2 1 3
4
1

4
5
 Illustration: Aggregation
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM sensors 5 Interval 1
Sensor #
1
1 2 3 4 5

4 1 2 3
Interval #

3 2

2 1 3
4
1 5

4
5
 Illustration: Aggregation
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM sensors Interval 4
Sensor #
1
1 2 3 4 5

4 1 2 3
Interval #

3 2

2 1 3
4
1 5
1
4 1
5
In-Network Join Strategies
 Types of joins:
 non-sensor -> sensor
 sensor -> sensor
 Optimization questions:
 Should the join be pushed down?
 If so, where should it be placed?
 What if a join table exceeds the
memory available on one node?
cases where Ecapture helps

I Got B!
B Got
D!

A D F Got
D!

C H

G
cases where collision
happens E

I
B

A D F Got
???
D!
???
Got B!
Got A!
C H

G
 Routing Phenomenon
being sensed

Data aggregation
takes place here

Sink

Multihop routing is common due to limited transmission range

• Limited node mobility

• Power aware
Some routing issues in WSNs • Irregular topology
• MAC aware
• Limited buffer space
 Routing
Problem – How to efficiently route:

Data from the sensors (or publishers) towards the sink (or subscribers)
and,

Queries and control packets from the sink (or subscribers) towards the
sensor nodes (or publishers)
Directed Diffusion
Gradient
ThisUses
Consumer
Nodes
The represents
process
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diffuse
of sets
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the
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attributes desired
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Four-legged
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Sink
Directed Diffusion
Reinforcement andtolerance
Has built-in negative to
reinforcement
nodes movingused
to converge to range
out of efficient
or distribution
dying

Source

Sink
 Geographic Forwarding
Greedy Approach
Problem: It can get stuck in a local minima
Thank You