Simulation and Analysis of a Wireless Sensor Network

Abstract

More efficient wireless communication in these days are a topic of capital importance. Specially in wireless sensor networks (WSN) where the system is often battery-powered.

In wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), where the number of nodes are relatively high, aspects such as communication throughput and lifetime become crucial. In order to design a system which fulfills the constraints imposed, it is important to have adequate tools to perform both design and simulation. Narrow-band communication is proposed as a reasonable approach for this system, in view of the fact that such implementation will keep the system's design simple and inexpensive.

This thesis also proposes a method to characterize the system and prove the hypothesis about the use of the narrow-band communication instead of a spread spectrum approach. The use of a discrete event simulator to achieve the modeling of a communication system will prove its flexibility.

The results obtained throughout this thesis are optimistic about the use of a narrow-band communication that fulfills the specifications proposed. The simulations performed also give a good foundation for further investigation within the area.