UNIT-I

Introduction: Sensor networks is an interdisciplinary research area that draws

on contributions from signal processing, networking and protocols, databases
and information management, distributed algorithms, and embedded systems
and architecture. In the following, we define a number of key terms and
concepts that will be used throughout the book as we develop techniques and
examples for sensor networks.
•

Sensor: A transducer that converts a physical phenomenon such as heat,

light, sound, or motion into electrical or other signals that may be further
manipulated by other apparatus.
•

Sensor node: A basic unit in a sensor network, with on-board sensors,

processor, memory, wireless modem, and power supply. It is often
abbreviated as node. When a node has only a single sensor on board, the
node is sometimes also referred to as a sensor, creating some confusion.
•

Network topology: A connectivity graph where nodes are sensor

nodes and edges are communication links. In a wireless network, the link
represents a one-hop connection, and the neighbors of a node are those
within the radio range of the node.
•

Routing: The process of determining a network path from a packet

source node to its destination.
•

Date-centric: Approaches that name, route, or access a piece of data via

properties, such as physical location, that are external to a communication
network. This is to be contrasted with address-centric approaches which
use logical properties of nodes related to the network structure.
•

Geographic routing: Routing of data based on geographical attributes

such as locations or regions. This is an example of date-centric
networking.
•

In-network: A style of processing in which the data is processed and

combined near where the data is generated.
 Wireless Sensor Network (WSN)

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), is an infrastructure-less wireless network
that is deployed in a large number of wireless sensors in an ad-hoc manner that
is used to monitor the system, physical, or environmental conditions.
Sensor nodes are used in WSN with the onboard processor that manages and
monitors the environment in a particular area. They are connected to the Base
Station which acts as a processing unit in the WSN System. The base Station in
a WSN System is connected through the Internet to share data. WSN can be
used for processing, analysis, storage, and mining of the data.

Wireless Sensor Network Architecture

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) architecture is structured into three main
layers:
 Physical Layer: This layer connects sensor nodes to the base station using
technologies like radio waves, infrared, or Bluetooth. It ensures the physical
communication between nodes and the base station.
 Data Link Layer: Responsible for establishing a reliable connection
between sensor nodes and the base station. It uses protocols such as IEEE
802.15.4 to manage data transmission and ensure efficient communication
within the network.
 Application Layer: Enables sensor nodes to communicate specific data to
the base station. It uses protocols like ZigBee to define how data is
formatted, transmitted, and received, supporting various applications such as
environmental monitoring or industrial control.
These layers work together to facilitate the seamless operation and data flow
within a Wireless Sensor Network, enabling efficient monitoring and data
collection across diverse applications.
WSN Network Topologies
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) can be organized into different network
topologies based on their application and network type. Here are the most
common types:
 Bus Topology: In a Bus Topology, multiple nodes are connected to a single
line or bus. Data travels along this bus from one node to the next. It’s a
simple layout often used in smaller networks.
 StarTopology: Star Topology have a central node, called the master node,
which connects directly to multiple other nodes. Data flows from the master
node to the connected nodes. This topology is efficient for centralized
control.
 Tree Topology: Tree Topology arrange nodes in a hierarchical structure
resembling a tree. Data is transmitted from one node to another along the
branches of the tree structure. It’s useful for expanding coverage in
hierarchical deployments.
 Mesh Topology: Mesh Topology feature nodes interconnected with one
another, forming a mesh-like structure. Data can travel through multiple
paths from one node to another until it reaches its destination. This topology
offers robust coverage and redundancy.
Each topology has its advantages and is chosen based on factors such as
coverage area, scalability, and reliability requirements for the specific WSN
application.
Types of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)
Terrestrial Wireless Sensor Networks
 Used for efficient communication between base stations.
 Consist of thousands of nodes placed in an ad hoc (random) or structured
(planned) manner.
 Nodes may use solar cells for energy efficiency.
 Focus on low energy use and optimal routing for efficiency.
Underground Wireless Sensor Networks
 Nodes are buried underground to monitor underground conditions.
 Require additional sink nodes above ground for data transmission.
 Face challenges like high installation and maintenance costs.
 Limited battery life and difficulty in recharging due to underground setup.
Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks
 Deployed in water environments using sensor nodes and autonomous
underwater vehicles.
 Face challenges like slow data transmission, bandwidth limitations,
and signal attenuation.
 Nodes have restricted and non-rechargeable power sources.
Multimedia Wireless Sensor Networks
 Used to monitor multimedia events such as video, audio, and images.
 Nodes equipped with microphones and cameras for data capture.
 Challenges include high power consumption, large bandwidth requirements,
and complex data processing.
 Designed for efficient wireless data compression and transmission.
Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks (MWSNs)
 Composed of mobile sensor nodes capable of independent movement.
 Offer advantages like increased coverage area, energy efficiency, and
channel capacity compared to static networks.
 Nodes can sense, compute, and communicate while moving in the
environment.
Each type of Wireless Sensor Network is tailored to specific environmental
conditions and applications, utilizing different technologies and strategies to
achieve efficient data collection and communication.
Applications of WSN
 Internet of Things (IoT)
 Surveillance and Monitoring for security, threat detection
 Environmental temperature, humidity, and air pressure
 Noise Level of the surrounding
 Medical applications like patient monitoring
 Agriculture
 Landslide Detection
Challenges of WSN
 Quality of Service
 Security Issue
 Energy Efficiency
 Network Throughput
 Performance
 Ability to cope with node failure
 Cross layer optimisation
 Scalability to large scale of deployment
A modern Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) faces several challenges, including:
 Limited power and energy: WSNs are typically composed of battery-
powered sensors that have limited energy resources. This makes it
challenging to ensure that the network can function for long periods of time
without the need for frequent battery replacements.
 Limited processing and storage capabilities: Sensor nodes in a WSN are
typically small and have limited processing and storage capabilities. This
makes it difficult to perform complex tasks or store large amounts of data.
 Heterogeneity: WSNs often consist of a variety of different sensor types
and nodes with different capabilities. This makes it challenging to ensure
that the network can function effectively and efficiently.
 Security: WSNs are vulnerable to various types of attacks, such as
eavesdropping, jamming, and spoofing. Ensuring the security of the network
and the data it collects is a major challenge.
 Scalability: WSNs often need to be able to support a large number of sensor
nodes and handle large amounts of data. Ensuring that the network can scale
to meet these demands is a significant challenge.
 Interference: WSNs are often deployed in environments where there is a lot
of interference from other wireless devices. This can make it difficult to
ensure reliable communication between sensor nodes.
 Reliability: WSNs are often used in critical applications, such as monitoring
the environment or controlling industrial processes. Ensuring that the
network is reliable and able to function correctly in all conditions is a major
challenge.
Components of WSN
 Sensors: Sensors in WSN are used to capture the environmental variables
and which is used for data acquisition. Sensor signals are converted into
electrical signals.
 Radio Nodes: It is used to receive the data produced by the Sensors and
sends it to the WLAN access point. It consists of a microcontroller,
transceiver, external memory, and power source.
 WLAN Access Point: It receives the data which is sent by the Radio nodes
wirelessly, generally through the internet.
 Evaluation Software: The data received by the WLAN Access Point is
processed by a software called as Evaluation Software for presenting the
report to the users for further processing of the data which can be used for
processing, analysis, storage, and mining of the data.
Advantages
  Low cost: WSNs consist of small, low-cost sensors that are easy to deploy,
making them a cost-effective solution for many applications.
 Wireless communication: WSNs eliminate the need for wired connections,
which can be costly and difficult to install. Wireless communication also
enables flexible deployment and reconfiguration of the network.
 Energy efficiency: WSNs use low-power devices and protocols to conserve
energy, enabling long-term operation without the need for frequent battery
replacements.
 Scalability: WSNs can be scaled up or down easily by adding or removing
sensors, making them suitable for a range of applications and environments.
 Real-time monitoring: WSNs enable real-time monitoring of physical
phenomena in the environment, providing timely information for decision
making and control.
Disadvantages
 Limited range: The range of wireless communication in WSNs is limited,
which can be a challenge for large-scale deployments or in environments
with obstacles that obstruct radio signals.
 Limited processing power: WSNs use low-power devices, which may have
limited processing power and memory, making it difficult to perform
complex computations or support advanced applications.
 Data security: WSNs are vulnerable to security threats, such as
eavesdropping, tampering, and denial of service attacks, which can
compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
 Interference: Wireless communication in WSNs can be susceptible to
interference from other wireless devices or radio signals, which can degrade
the quality of data transmission.
 Deployment challenges: Deploying WSNs can be challenging due to the
need for proper sensor placement, power management, and network
configuration, which can require significant time and resources.
 while WSNs offer many benefits, they also have limitations and challenges
that must be considered when deploying and using them in real-world
applications.

Differences between Wireless Adhoc Network and Wireless Sensor

Network

1. Wireless Adhoc Network: A wireless ad-hoc network is a wireless network
deployed without any framework or infrastructure. This incorporates wireless
mesh networks, mobile ad-hoc networks, and vehicular ad-hoc networks. Its
history could be traced back to the Defense Advanced Research Project
 Agency (DARPA) and Packet Radio Networks (PRNET) which evolved into
the Survival Adaptive Radio Networks (SARNET) program. Wireless ad-hoc
networks, in particular mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET), are growing very
fast as they make communication simpler and progressively accessible. In any
case, their conventions or protocols will in general be hard to structure due to
topology dependent behavior of wireless communication, and their distribution
and adaptive operations to topology dynamism. They are allowed to move
self-assertively at any time. So, the network topology of MANET may change
randomly and rapidly at unpredictable times. This makes routing difficult
because the topology is continually changing and nodes cannot be expected to
have steady data storage.
Applications:
1. Data Mining
2. Military battlefield
3. Commercial Sector
4. Personal area network or Bluetooth
2. Wireless Sensor Network: A wireless sensor network can be characterized
as a system of devices, indicated as nodes that can detect the environment and
impart the data accumulated from the monitored field (e.g., a zone or volume)
through remote or wireless connections. It can be depicted as a system of
nodes that agreeably sense and may control the environment enabling
association between people or computers and the surrounding environment.
The information is sent, possibly through different jumps, to a sink (indicated
as a controller or monitor) that can utilize it locally or is associated with
different systems (e.g., The Internet) through a portal. The nodes can be fixed
or moved.
Applications:
1. Environmental Monitoring
2. Health Care
3. Positioning and Monitoring
Differences between Wireless Adhoc Networks and Wireless Sensor Networks
are as follows:

Wireless Adhoc Network Wireless Sensor Network

The medium used in wireless ad-hoc The medium used in wireless sensor networks
networks is radio waves. is radio waves, infrared, and optical media.

Application independent network is The application-dependent network is used.

 Wireless Adhoc Network Wireless Sensor Network

used.

Query-based (data-centric routing) or location-

Hop-to-Hop routing takes place.
based routing takes place.

It is heterogeneous in type. It is homogeneous in type.

The traffic pattern is any-to-any, many-to-one,

The traffic pattern is point-to-point.
many-to-few, and one-to-many.

Wireless router is used as an inter- Application level gateway is used as an

connecting device. interconnecting device.

The data rate is high. The data rate is low.

Supports common services. Supports specific applications.

Traffic triggering depends on

Triggered by sensing events.
application needs.

Local unique MAC address or spatial IP is used

IP address is used for addressing.
for addressing.

Network Type Peer-to-Peer Network type Hierarchical or Mesh

Nodes Can be any wireless device Nodes Limited to sensor nodes

 Wireless Adhoc Network Wireless Sensor Network

Communication Range Variable Communication Range Limited by the sensor

depends on node placement node’s transmission power

Communication Range Customized protocols

Communication Range Standard
for efficient data transfer and low energy
network protocols (TCP/IP)
consumption

Data Type General data (voice, Data Type Sensor data (temperature, humidity,
video, files, etc.) light, etc.)

Power Consumption Can be high due Power Consumption Designed to minimize

to constant communication energy consumption to extend network lifetime

Security Security protocols can be Security Security protocols are critical as

implemented sensor data can be sensitive

Applications General wireless Applications Environmental monitoring,

communication industrial automation, home automation, etc.

Deployment Typically deployed in remote or

Deployment Can be deployed in any
hard-to-reach locations, such as forests, oceans,
environment
or industrial sites.