Scaleable wireless web-enabled sensor networks

Christopher P. Townsend; Michael J. Hamel; Peter A. Sonntag; B. Trutor; Steven W. Arms

doi:10.1117/12.472543

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28 June 2002 Scaleable wireless web-enabled sensor networks

Christopher P. Townsend, Michael J. Hamel, Peter A. Sonntag, B. Trutor, Steven W. Arms

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Proceedings Volume 4696, Smart Structures and Materials 2002: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.472543
Event: SPIE's 9th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2002, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Our goal was to develop a long life, low cost, scalable wireless sensing network, which collects and distributes data from a wide variety of sensors over the internet. Time division multiple access was employed with RF transmitter nodes (each w/unique16 bit address) to communicate digital data to a single receiver (range 1/3 mile). One thousand five channel nodes can communicate to one receiver (30 minute update). Current draw (sleep) is 20 microamps, allowing 5 year battery life w/one 3.6 volt Li-Ion AA size battery. The network nodes include sensor excitation (AC or DC), multiplexer, instrumentation amplifier, 16 bit A/D converter, microprocessor, and RF link. They are compatible with thermocouples, strain gauges, load/torque transducers, inductive/capacitive sensors. The receiver (418 MHz) includes a single board computer (SBC) with Ethernet capability, internet file transfer protocols (XML/HTML), and data storage. The receiver detects data from specific nodes, performs error checking, records the data. The web server interrogates the SBC (from Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape's Navigator) to distribute data. This system can collect data from thousands of remote sensors on a smart structure, and be shared by an unlimited number of users.

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Christopher P. Townsend, Michael J. Hamel, Peter A. Sonntag, B. Trutor, and Steven W. Arms "Scaleable wireless web-enabled sensor networks", Proc. SPIE 4696, Smart Structures and Materials 2002: Smart Systems for Bridges, Structures, and Highways, (28 June 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.472543

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