Course Project

You have 2 options for the course project.

1) Data collection with a wireless sensor network

Introduction:

Sensor networks are a special kind of computer networks. The network consists of many sensor nodes. Each sensor node is able to sense the physical environment around it with its embedded sensors (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc). It can also communicate with other sensor nodes via its wireless radio using the standard IEEE 802.15.4 (including physical layer and data link layer).

 

Sensor nodes can be programmed. The OS for senor nodes is called TinyOS, which is a kind of embedded operating operations. The programming language is nesC.

 

In this project, you are going to develop network protocols for a sensor network. With the protocol, sensor nodes are able to self organize themselves. More specifically, a sensor node will periodically gather sensing data, finding its neighboring nodes, and automatically determine the forwarding path. In addition, a sensor network may be dynamic. For example,  a sensor node may be moved to another place; a node runs out of power and disappears without notification; a new node is added to a network. You must deal with the issues caused by such dynamic changes to the sensor network.

 

Eventually, a specially node called sink should collect all sensing data from other sensors, and transfers the data to a computer it is attached to. You should also develop a desktop program to display the data gathered from the network.

 

Some background:

TinyOS: an open source, BSD-licensed operating system designed for low-power wireless devices
TelosB mote: embedded platform for research and experiment see datasheet
nesC: nesC is an extension to the C programming language designed to embody the structuring concepts and execution model of TinyOS.

Task:

Develop a network protocol and software for sensor nodes to gather sensing data (time series) of sensor nodes at the sink node (attached to a computer), and display the sensing data at the desktop or laptop computer.

    Requirement:

  • 1. 1 node acts as sink. 2 nodes are used to sense light, temperature, humility and transform the data to sink. 2 hops is required.
  • 2. Sink node collects data, analyze every field in the data packet. Then store data in a text file.
  • 3. You can use some java tools to show the data in gram.
  • 4. Format of packets can be defined by yourself.
  • 5. It should be clearly identified whether the nodes are working. It is sending or receiving data.
  • 6. SenseAndSend is an example of how to use sensor (light, temperature, humility) interfaces in Telosb
  • 7. 3 person form a group, every group member has a Telosb node.
  • 8. If you want TelosB motes, contact TA and register your name and phone number.

Grouping policy

Grouping is allowed and each group can have at maximum three students.  

Tutorial

  • 1. How to install and program in TinyOS, how to read sensor data. Some example codes see here

  • 2. See tutorial codes in TinyOS, under directory app/ .

    •  Submission

  • 1. All the source code, which should compile and work correctly
  • 2. Report:

    • Report should include brief introduction of program structure and how you implement that part. Explain important functions you added. Do not paste too much code, just when needed. Explain the usage of every file. Explain the problems you meet and how you solve them.

     Grading

  • Highest score: A+
  • Correct code and demonstration of multiple hop networking and data display（60％）；
  • The report, including:
    • (10%)

    1. Usage of program

    2. Data structure

    3. Main algorithm

    4. Problem and solution

    5. Some advice.

  • Some additional functions (20%)
  • Program is robust (10%)

    •  

    2) A research project (technical paper or survey paper)

    Technical paper

    A technical paper solves a concrete technical problem related to computer networking in general.  Example titles are the following

    • A novel searching algorithm for unstructured peer-to-peer networks
    • A new overlay for peer-to-peer networks
    • A media access control protocol for wireless sensor networks
    • A congestion control protocol for mobile ad hoc networks
    • A channel selection scheme for wireless local area networks (WLANs)
    • A reliable transfer protocol for wireless sensor networks

    Survey paper

    A survey paper discusses the state-of-the-art solutions to a given research problem. You have to search in the literature for the state-of-the-art solutions. Usually, 6-10 high quality papers are necessary. Then, your job is to discuss the solutions and compare them in detail. Example titles for survey papers are the following:

    • A survey on software defined network (SDN) technologies
    • A survey on datacenter networks in cloud computing
    • A survey on peer-to-peer searching protocols
    • A survey on media access control protocols for wireless sensor networks
    • A survey on routing protocols for mobile ad hoc networks
    • A survey on 4G/LTE standards

    Grouping policy

    Grouping is allowed and each group can have at maximum two students.  

    Format of reports

    You can write your reports by LaTeX or MS Word. Conform to IEEE format (Double column, single space, 10 point font) when you write the reports.

    Templates are available from the following URLs.

    LaTeX

    MS Word

    Deadlines

    Proposal and grouping submissions

    10pm, Friday, May 22, 2015

    Final submissions

    10pm, Friday, June 26, 2015

    Submissions

    please send all your submissions to the teaching assistant.