Zigbee Wireless Sensor Network in Environmental Monitoring
Applications
I. ZIGBEE TECHNOLOGY
Zigbee is a wireless standard based on IEEE802.15.4 that was developed to address the unique needs of most wireless sensing and control applications. Technology is low cost, low power, a low data rate, highly reliable, highly secure wireless networking protocol targeted towards automation and remote control applications. It’s depicts two key performance characteristics – wireless radio range and data transmission rate of the wireless spectrum. Comparing to other wireless networking protocols such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB and so on, shows excellent transmission ability in lower transmission rate and highly capacity of network.
A. Zigbee Framework
Framework is made up of a set of blocks called layers. Each layer performs a specific set of services for the layer above. As shown in Fig.1. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard defines the two lower layers: the physical (PHY) layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer. The Alliance builds on this foundation by providing the network and security layer and the framework for the application layer.
Fig.1 Framework
The IEEE 802.15.4 has two PHY layers that operate in two separate frequency ranges: 868/915 MHz and 2.4GHz. Moreover, MAC sub-layer controls access to the radio channel using a CSMA-CA mechanism. Its responsibilities may also include transmitting beacon frames, synchronization, and providing a reliable transmission mechanism. B. Zigbee’s Topology
The network layer supports star, tree, and mesh topologies, as shown in Fig.2. In a star topology, the network is controlled by one single device called coordinator. The coordinator
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is responsible for initiating and maintaining the devices on the network. All other devices, known as end devices, directly communicate with the coordinator. In mesh and tree topologies, the coordinator is responsible for starting the network and for choosing certain key network parameters, but the network may be extended through the use of routers. In tree networks, routers move data and control messages through the network using a hierarchical routing strategy. Mesh networks allow full peer-to-peer communication.
Fig.2 Mesh topologies
Fig.3 is a network model, it shows that supports both single-hop star topology constructed with one coordinator in the center and the end devices, and mesh topology. In the network, the intelligent nodes are composed by Full Function Device (FFD) and Reduced Function Device (RFD). Only the FFN defines the full functionality and can become a network coordinator. Coordinator manages the network, it is to say that coordinator can start a network and allow other devices to join or leave it. Moreover, it can provide binding and address-table services, and save messages until they can be delivered.
Fig.3 Zigbee network model
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II. THE GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
SYSTEM DESIGN
Traditional agriculture only use machinery and equipment which isolating and no communicating ability. And farmers have to monitor crops’ growth by themselves. Even if some people use electrical devices, but most of them were restricted to simple communication between control computer and end devices like sensors instead of wire connection, which couldn’t be strictly defined as wireless sensor network. Therefore, by through using sensor networks and, agriculture could become more automation, more networking and smarter.
In this project, we should deploy five kinds of sensors in the greenhouse basement. By through these deployed sensors, the parameters such as temperature in the greenhouse, soil temperature, dew point, humidity and light intensity can be detected real time. It is key to collect different parameters from all kinds of sensors. And in the greenhouse, monitoring the vegetables growing conditions is the top issue. Therefore, longer battery life and lower data rate and less complexity are very important. From the introduction about above, we know that meet the requirements for reliability, security, low costs and low power. A. System Overview
The overview of Greenhouse environmental monitoring system, which is made up by one sink node (coordinator), many sensor nodes, workstation and database. Mote node and sensor node together composed of each collecting node. When sensors collect parameters real time, such as temperature in the greenhouse, soil temperature, dew point, humidity and light intensity, these data will be offered to A/D converter, then by through quantizing and encoding become the digital signal that is able to transmit by wireless sensor communicating node. Each wireless sensor communicating node has ability of transmitting, receiving function.
In this WSN, sensor nodes deployed in the greenhouse, which can collect real time data and transmit data to sink node (Coordinator) by the way of multi-hop. Sink node complete the task of data analysis and data storage. Meanwhile, sink node is connected with GPRS/CDMA can provide remote control and data download service. In the monitoring and controlling room, by running greenhouse management software, the sink node can periodically receives the data from the wireless sensor nodes and displays them on monitors.
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B. Node Hardware Design
Sensor nodes are the basic units of WSN. The hardware platform is made up sensor nodes closely related to the specific application requirements. Therefore, the most important work is the nodes design which can perfect implement the function of detecting and transmission as a WSN node, and perform its technology characteristics. Fig.4 shows the universal structure of the WSN nodes. Power module provides the necessary energy for the sensor nodes. Data collection module is used to receive and convert signals of sensors. Data processing and control module’s functions are node device control, task scheduling, and energy computing and so on. Communication module is used to send data between nodes and frequency chosen and so on.
Fig.4 Universal structure of the wsn nodes
In the data transfer unit, the module is embedded to match the MAC layer and the NET layer of the protocol. We choose CC2430 as the protocol chips, which integrated the CPU, RF transceiver, net protocol and the RAM together. CC2430 uses an 8 bit MCU (8051), and has 128KB programmable flash memory and 8KB RAM. It also includes A/D converter, some Timers, AES128 Coprocessor, Watchdog Timer, 32K crystal Sleep mode Timer, Power on Reset, Brown out Detection and 21 I/Os. Based on the chips, many modules for the protocol are provided. And the transfer unit could be easily designed based on the modules. As an example of a sensor end device integrated temperature, humidity and light, the design is shown in Fig. 5.
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Fig.5 The hardware design of a sensor node
The SHT11 is a single chip relative humidity and temperature multi sensor module comprising a calibrated digital output. It can test the soil temperature and humidity. The DS18B20 is a digital temperature sensor, which has 3 pins and data pin can link MSP430 directly. It can detect temperature in greenhouse. The TCS320 is a digital light sensor. SHT11, DS18B20 and TCS320 are both digital sensors with small size and low power consumption. Other sensor nodes can be obtained by changing the sensors.
The sensor nodes are powered from onboard batteries and the coordinator also allows to be powered from an external power supply determined by a jumper. C. Node Software Design
The application system consists of a coordinator and several end devices. The general structure of the code in each is the same, with an initialization followed by a main loop. The software flow of coordinator, upon the coordinator being started, the first action of the application is the initialization of the hardware, liquid crystal, stack and application variables and opening the interrupt. Then a network will be formatted. If this net has been formatted successfully, some network information, such as physical address, net ID, channel number will be shown on the LCD. Then program will step into application layer and monitor signal. If there is end device or router want to join in this net, LCD will shown this information, and show the physical address of applying node, and the coordinator will allocate a net address to this node. If the node has been joined in this network, the data transmitted by this node will be received by coordinator and shown in the LCD.
The software flow of a sensor node, as each sensor node is switched on, it scans all
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Zigbee无线传感器网络英文文献与翻译
