Wireless Daisy Chain and Tree Topology Networks for Smart Cities

Abstract

Automation is of prime importance for Smart Cities to optimize resource allocation and usage. For that reason, network designs that allow for efficient and reliable automation are also important. In a fully fledged smart city, billions of devices of varying scale are expected to be connected through private or public networks; these include Smart Connected Street Devices (SCSD) such as traffic signals, devices assisting automated vehicles, board signs for roads and streets, pollution sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, garbage bins, street lights, disaster warning systems etc, and also the appliances a smart home along with the users' personal computing devices. A generic network where the clientele communicates with the server directly may not be feasible in certain applications where the size of the clientele or their physical distance could large, or the unpredictable and erratic bandwidth requirements would pull back efficiency. This work proposes a simple daisy chain network, as well as a tree network using cost-effective wireless communication enabled microcontrollers, to take the transmission load off the server, by relaying commands or requests through the desired network paths. Further, a street- lighting system which cuts the energy consumption by around one order of magnitude is implemented to demonstrate the working.