A Rapid Prototyping Methodology for Application-Specific Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor network systems depend on many inter-related system parameters. The associated design space is vast, and effective optimization in this space is challenging. In this paper, we introduce a system-level design methodology to find efficient configurations for an application-specific sensor network system where optimization of energy consumption is a primary implementation criterion. This methodology incorporates fine-grained, system-level energy models; analyzes critical parameters of candidate off-the-shelf components; integrates the associated parameters into a comprehensive optimization framework; and applies optimized configurations to the actual hardware implementation of the targeted sensor network system. The results of fidelity analysis of the models that underlie our optimization framework together with the results of our hardware implementation demonstrate the accuracy and applicability of our methodology and supporting tools for optimized configuration of application-specific sensor networks.