Module-1

Wireless Sensor Networks

Module 1: Introduction to Wireless Sensor Networks

Motivation, Challenges and Constraints, Applications. Node Architecture – Hardware elements,

Sensors and Actuators, Power supply, Energy Consumption of sensor nodes. Challenges in
sensor network programming, Operating systems and execution environmentsembedded OS,
issues, Programming models.

1.1 Motivation, Challenges and Constraints

Introduction to Wireless Sensor Networks

Sensor nodes offer a powerful combination of distributed sensing, computing and

communication. The ever-increasing capabilities of these tiny sensor nodes, which include
sensing, data processing, and communicating, enable the realization of WSNs based on the
collaborative effort of a number of other sensor nodes. They enable a wide range of applications
and, at the same time, offer numerous challenges due to their peculiarities, primarily the stringent
energy constraints to which sensing nodes are typically subjected.

Motivation

The recent developments in engineering, communication and networking led to new

sensor designs, information technologies and wireless systems.

• Such advanced sensors can be used as a bridge between the physical world and the
digital world.

• Sensors are used in numerous devices, industries, machines and help in avoiding
infrastructure failures, accidents, conserving natural resources, preserving wildlife, increase
productivity, provide security etc.

• The use of distributed sensor network contributed by the technological advances in

VLSI, MEMS and Wireless Communication.

• With the help of modern semiconductor technology, powerful microprocessors can be

developed, smaller in size when compared to the previous generation products. This
miniaturization of processing, computing and sensing technologies led to tiny, lowpower and
cheap sensors, controllers and actuators.
Challenges

To realize the characteristics requirements, the innovative mechanisms for a

communication network have to be found.

• The particular challenge is the need to find mechanisms specific to the idiosyncrasies
of a given application to support the specific quality of service, and maintainability requirements.

• These mechanisms also have to generalize to a wider range of applications and

implementation of a WSN becomes necessary for every individual application.

• Some of the mechanisms that will form typical parts of WSNs are:

1. Multi-hop Wireless Communication

• Since wireless communication is a core technique, a direct communication between
a sender and a receiver is faced with limitations.
• In particular, communication over long distances is only possible using high
transmission power.
• The use of intermediate nodes as relays can reduce the total required power.
• Hence, for many forms of WSNs, multi-hop communication will be a necessary
ingredient.
2. Energy Efficient Operation & Auto-configuration
1. Energy-efficient Operation: It is a key technique for supporting long life time.
The other options include energy-efficient data transport between two nodes or the
energy-efficient determination of requested information. The non-homogeneous
energy consumption – the forming of “hotspots” is an issue.
2. Auto-configuration: A WSN will have to configure most of its operational
parameters, independent of external configuration. As an example, nodes should be
able to determine their geographical positions only using other nodes of the network
so- called “selflocation”. The network should be able to tolerate failing nodes or to
integrate new nodes.
3. Collaboration & In-network Processing
 • In some applications, a single sensor is not able to decide whether an event has
happened but several sensors have to collaborate to detect an event and only the joint
data of many sensors provides enough information.
• Information is processed in the network in various forms to achieve this
collaboration. This is opposite to having every node transmit all data to an external
network and process it “at the edge” of the network.
• An example is to determine the highest or the average temperature within an area
and to report that value to a sink. To solve such tasks, readings from individual
sensors can be aggregated reducing the amount of data to be transmitted and hence
improving the energy efficiency.
4. Data Centric
• Traditional communication networks are centered around the transfer of data
between two specific devices, each equipped with one network address – the
operation of such networks is thus address-centric.
• In a WSN, the nodes are deployed to protect against node failures or to compensate
for the low quality of a single node’s actual sensing equipment. Hence, switching
from an address-centric paradigm to a datacentric paradigm in designing architecture
and communication protocols is promising.
• An example for such a data-centric interaction will be to request the average
temperature in a given location area, as opposed to requiring temperature readings
from individual nodes.
5. Locality
• The principle of locality will have to be embraced to ensure in particular, scalability.
• Nodes with limited should attempt to limit the state that they accumulate during
protocol processing to only information about their direct neighbors.
• This will allow the network to scale to large numbers of nodes without having to
depend on powerful processing at each single node.
6. Exploit Trade-offs
• Similar to locality principle, WSNs will have to depend to a large degree on
exploiting various trade-offs between contradictory goals, both during system design
and runtime.
 • Examples for such trade-offs are - higher energy expenditure allows higher result
accuracy, longer lifetime of the entire network trades off against lifetime of individual
nodes and node density.
• If there is a depart from an address-centric view of the network, it may require new
programming interfaces beyond the simple semantics of the conventional socket
interface and allow concepts like required accuracy, energy/accuracy trade-offs etc.

Constraints

While wireless sensor networks (WSNs) offer numerous advantages, they also face
various constraints and challenges that need to be addressed. Some of the key
constraints of WSNs include:
1. Limited Power Supply:
 Many sensor nodes in WSNs are battery-powered, and replacing or recharging
batteries in remote locations can be impractical. This limitation imposes
constraints on the network's lifetime and necessitates the development of energy-
efficient protocols and strategies.
2. Limited Processing and Memory Resources:
 Sensor nodes typically have limited processing power and memory capacity. This
constraint poses challenges for running complex algorithms and storing large
amounts of data locally. Efficient data compression and processing techniques are
crucial to overcome these limitations.
3. Communication Constraints:
 WSNs often operate in environments with limited bandwidth and may experience
signal interference or loss. The communication range of sensor nodes is also
limited, requiring careful design to ensure reliable and efficient data transmission.
4. Network Scalability:
 As the number of sensor nodes increases, managing the scalability of the network
becomes challenging. Issues such as network congestion, data aggregation, and
routing become more complex as the size of the WSN grows.
5. Security and Privacy Concerns:
  WSNs are susceptible to various security threats, including eavesdropping, data
tampering, and node compromise. Implementing robust security mechanisms is
crucial to protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of the network.
6. Node Mobility:
 In some applications, sensor nodes may be mobile, leading to dynamic network
topologies. This introduces challenges in maintaining connectivity, efficient
routing, and synchronization among nodes.
7. Harsh Environmental Conditions:
 WSNs are often deployed in harsh or remote environments, such as battlefields or
natural disaster sites. These conditions can subject sensor nodes to extreme
temperatures, humidity, and physical stress, affecting their performance and
longevity.
8. Fault Tolerance:
 Sensor nodes may fail due to various reasons, including hardware malfunctions or
energy depletion. Ensuring fault tolerance and designing robust algorithms to
handle node failures are critical for maintaining network functionality.
9. Quality of Service (QoS) Requirements:
 Depending on the application, certain WSNs may have specific QoS
requirements, such as low latency or high reliability. Meeting these requirements
while considering resource constraints can be challenging.
10. Cost Constraints:
 Deploying and maintaining a large-scale WSN can be expensive. Cost constraints
may limit the number of sensor nodes or the deployment density, affecting the
overall performance and coverage of the network.
11. Regulatory and Standards Compliance:
 Adherence to regulatory constraints and standards is crucial for WSN
deployments. Compliance with spectrum regulations, data protection laws, and
interoperability standards can impact the design and operation of WSNs.
Addressing these constraints requires a multidisciplinary approach involving
advancements in hardware design, communication protocols, energy-efficient
algorithms, and security mechanisms to ensure the successful deployment and
operation of wireless sensor networks.