Whilst many Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications remain in the research domain, there is increased effort in some circles to apply the concept and related technology to industrial purposes. This study experimentally tests how low power sensor devices perform in simulated industrial scenarios in terms of communication with a particular focus on metallic environments, where radio frequency devices tend to fare badly. The study covers experimentation in a number of different physical environments, as well as with varying materials which may be found in typical industrial situations. The study also considers two popular operating frequencies for comparison: 915MHz and 2.45GHz. The aim of this study is to gauge the effect that the environment has on a low power sensor device, as this is important when considering their constrained operating parameters. In doing this it will be possible to ensure that WSN are practical for industrial deployment and potentially suggest ways in which improvements could be made.

Date Published: 8 April 2010
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7648, Smart Sensor Phenomena, Technology, Networks, and Systems 2010, 764815 (8 April 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.847231

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7648:
Smart Sensor Phenomena, Technology, Networks, and Systems 2010
Kara J. Peters; Wolfgang Ecke; Theodore E. Matikas, Editor(s)