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Chapter 7 Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology 313

Wireless Sensor Networks
If your company wanted state-of-the art technology to monitor building security
or detect hazardous substances in the air, it might deploy a wireless sensor
network. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of interconnected
wireless devices that are embedded into the physical environment to provide
measurements of many points over large spaces. These devices have built-in
processing, storage, and radio frequency sensors and antennas. They are linked
into an interconnected network that routes the data they capture to a computer
for analysis.
These networks range from hundreds to thousands of nodes. Because wireless
sensor devices are placed in the field for years at a time without any mainte-
nance or human intervention, they must have very low power requirements
and batteries capable of lasting for years.
Figure 7.16 illustrates one type of wireless sensor network, with data from
individual nodes flowing across the network to a server with greater processing
power. The server acts as a gateway to a network based on Internet technology.
Wireless sensor networks are valuable in areas such as monitoring
environmental changes, monitoring traffic or military activity, protect-
ing property, efficiently operating and managing machinery and vehicles,
establishing security perimeters, monitoring supply chain management, or
detecting chemical, biological, or radiological material.

LEARNING TRACK MODULES

The following Learning Tracks provide content relevant to topics covered in
this chapter:

1. LAN Topologies
2. Broadband Network Services and Technologies
3. Cellular System Generations
4. Wireless Applications for Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain
Management, and Healthcare
5. Web 2.0

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