Authors:
Ruan D. Gomes
1
;
Emerson B. Gomes
2
;
Iguatemi E. Fonseca
2
;
Marcelo S. Alencar
3
and
Cesar Benavente-Peces
4
Affiliations:
1
Federal Institute of Paraíba, Brazil
;
2
Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil
;
3
Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil
;
4
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain
Keyword(s):
Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks, Multi-channel Communication, Wireless Channel Characterization, Outdoor Industrial Environment.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Sensor Networks
;
Technologies and Standards
;
Wireless Information Networks
;
Wireless Network Protocols
Abstract:
This paper describes an experimental study which investigates relevant properties of multi-channel wireless
communications in an outdoor industrial environment. A testbed of IEEE 802.15.4 radios was developed in
order to evaluate the performance of the 16 channels defined by the standard, at all the nodes, simultaneously.
From the collected data, some relevant facts are discussed, such as the spatial variations in channel quality,
the differences in the characteristics of different channels, the link asymmetry, and the non-stationary characteristics
of the channel. The possible problems that can arise in the deployment of industrial wireless sensor
networks, based on the characteristics of the standards developed for this type of network, are described, as
well as some possible solutions.