Dimensioning of Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks for Guaranteed Delivery Time

Abstract

Wireless sensor and actuator network (WSAN) applications are used in many critical scenarios. For instance, upon receiving an over-threshold pressure value, the control station of a gas separation plant issues a command to corresponding actuators to close gas valves to prevent a fire accident. In such control-loop systems, messages must be transported reliably within a tight deadline. This paper presents two components: a new network dimensioning method and a simple MAC protocol, to support control-loop systems in WSANs. The dimensioning method is used to specify the worst-case network topology, traffic and node forwarding rates prior to a network deployment. The MAC protocol is designed to ensure that the specifications and design assumptions are not violated in a subsequent deployment. The experimental evaluation clearly indicates that messages are delivered within the guaranteed delay bound.