The hitchhiker's guide to successful wireless sensor network deployments

ABSTRACT

The successful deployment of a wireless sensor network is a difficult task, littered with traps and pitfalls. Even a functional network does not guarantee gathering meaningful data. In SensorScope, with its multiple campaigns in various environments (e.g., urban, high-mountain), we have acquired much knowledge in planning, conducting, and managing real-world sensor network deployments. In this paper, we share our experience by stepping through the entire process, from the preparatory hard- and software development to the actual field deployment. Illustrated by numerous real-life examples, excerpted from our own experience, we point out many potential problems along this way and their possible solutions. We also indicate the importance of a close interaction with the end-user community in planning and running the network, and finally exploiting the data.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Distributed networks

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation

Keywords:
architecture, deployment, environmental monitoring, implementation, wireless sensor network