Application and evaluation of high power Zigbee based wireless sensor network in water irrigation control monitoring system

The application of wireless sensor network (WSN) for a water irrigation control monitoring is composed of a number of sensor nodes with a networking capability that can be deployed for an ad hoc and continuous monitoring purpose. The parameters involved in the water reservation control such as the water level and motor movement of the gate controlling the flow of water will be measured in the real time by the sensors that send the data to the base station or control/monitoring room. This paper proposes how such monitoring system can be setup emphasizing on the aspects of low cost, easy ad hoc installation and easy handling and maintenance. The use of wireless system for monitoring purpose will not only reduce the overall monitoring system cost in term of labor cost, but will also provide a flexibility in term of distance or location. In this paper, the fundamental design and implementation of WSN featuring a Zigbee Technology together with the IEEE 802.15.4 compatible transceiver and the simple water flow control circuit is proposed. The developed platform is cost-effective and allows easy customization. Several preliminary results of measurement to evaluate the reliability and effectiveness of the system are also presented.