An Overview on Wireless Sensor Networks Technology and Simulation Software’s

Abstract: Advances in wireless networking, micro-fabrication and integration of sensors and actuators manufactured using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technology and embedded microprocessors have enabled a new generation of massive-scale sensor networks suitable for a range of commercial and military applications. Sensor networks promise to couple end users directly to sensor measurements and provide information that is precisely localized in time and/or space, according to the user’s needs or demands. Node-level design simulators simulate the behaviour of a sensor network on a per-node basis. Using simulation, designers can quickly study the performance in terms of timing, power, bandwidth, and scalability without implementing them on actual hardware and dealing with the actual physical phenomena. The present communication gives the brief survey of wireless sensor network (WSN), WSN components, details of operating systems (TinyOS, RIOT, Nano-RK, MANTIS etc.) and WSN simulation software’s (NS2, OMNET++, J-Sim, JiST, GloMoSim, SSFNet etc.). The aim is to provide a better understanding of the current research issues in this field and outline the use of certain tools to meet the design objectives which will be useful to learner/researcher to develop WSNs applications.

Keywords: Sensor nodes, Architecture, Operating system, Simulation software, Wireless technology.