TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of wireless smart sensor performance
AU - Linderman, Lauren E.
AU - Rice, J. A.
AU - Barot, Suhail
AU - Spencer, B. F.
AU - Bernhard, J. T.
PY - 2010/4
Y1 - 2010/4
N2 - A critical aspect of using wireless sensors for structural health monitoring is communication performance. Unlike wired systems, data transfer is less reliable between wireless sensor nodes owing to data loss. While reliable communication protocols are typically used to reduce data loss, this increase in communication can drain already limited power resources. This paper provides an experimental investigation of the wireless communication characteristics of the Imote2 smart sensor platform; the presentation is tailored toward the end user, e.g., application engineers and researchers. Following a qualitative discussion of wireless communication and packet delivery, a quantitative characterization of wireless communication capabilities of the Imote2 platform, including an assessment of onboard and external antenna performance, is provided. Herein, the external antenna was found to significantly outperform the onboard antenna in both transmission and reception reliability. However, the built environment, including building materials and other wireless networks, can significantly reduce reception rate and thus increase packet loss. Finally, implications of these results for a full-scale implementation are presented.
AB - A critical aspect of using wireless sensors for structural health monitoring is communication performance. Unlike wired systems, data transfer is less reliable between wireless sensor nodes owing to data loss. While reliable communication protocols are typically used to reduce data loss, this increase in communication can drain already limited power resources. This paper provides an experimental investigation of the wireless communication characteristics of the Imote2 smart sensor platform; the presentation is tailored toward the end user, e.g., application engineers and researchers. Following a qualitative discussion of wireless communication and packet delivery, a quantitative characterization of wireless communication capabilities of the Imote2 platform, including an assessment of onboard and external antenna performance, is provided. Herein, the external antenna was found to significantly outperform the onboard antenna in both transmission and reception reliability. However, the built environment, including building materials and other wireless networks, can significantly reduce reception rate and thus increase packet loss. Finally, implications of these results for a full-scale implementation are presented.
KW - Antennas
KW - Communication
KW - Monitoring
KW - Probe instruments
KW - Structural reliability
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U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000187
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000187
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78349255458
SN - 0733-9399
VL - 136
SP - 1435
EP - 1443
JO - Journal of Engineering Mechanics
JF - Journal of Engineering Mechanics
IS - 12
ER -