Multi-channel Communication Analysis of Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks in Outdoor Environments

• Published in: Sensor Networks Vol. 1074; pp. 176 - 195
• Main Authors: Gomes, Ruan D., Gomes, Emerson B., Fonseca, Iguatemi E., Alencar, Marcelo S., Benavente-Peces, Cesar
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Springer International Publishing AG 2019; Springer International Publishing
• Series: Communications in Computer and Information Science
• Subjects: Industrial wireless sensor networks; Multi-channel communication; Outdoor industrial environment; Wireless channel characterization
• ISBN: 3030301095; 9783030301095
• ISSN: 1865-0929; 1865-0937
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30110-1_10

This paper describes a set of experimental studies, which investigates relevant properties of multi-channel wireless communications in outdoor industrial environments. Two different testbeds of IEEE 802.15.4 radios were employed in two different outdoor environments in order to evaluate the performance of the 16 channels defined by the standard. In the first environment the characteristics of the 16 channels were analyzed for 8 nodes simultaneously, and in the second environment the characteristics of the 16 channels were analyzed for 3 nodes in different positions, and in different times. 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.