A remote triggered wireless sensor network testbed

Abstract

This paper presents a remote triggered wireless sensor network (WSN) testbed used to facilitate multi-user remote access to the WSN experiments for virtual learning of wireless sensor network concepts. This testbed provides multiset, multi-group of WSN experimental setup that is capable to provide opportunity to perform remote code editing using over the air programming mechanism. This testbed also provides an intuitive web-based interface to the registered users for running the experiments, accessing and editing the source code of the experiment from anywhere in the world by means of internet. This remote triggering mechanism offers the user a flexible environment for the experimentation. An experimentation setup of 150 wireless sensor nodes are developed to suit the design of both indoor and outdoor experiments. The outdoor lab setup allows the users to learn the wireless propagational effects in the real environment. The WSN indoor lab setup comprises of nine sensor network experiments which allows the users to learn the WSN concepts such as configuring a WSN, clustering mechanisms, time synchronization mechanisms and experience the practical implementation in real time. This test bed offers the researchers and students an opportunity to trigger their inquisitiveness by providing the access to remote equipments and materials needed for the experimentation, shared via virtual manner wherein the experiment conduction and output observation can be performed online through an effective visualization tool.