The Wireless Sensor Networks for Factory Automation

Sensors are used in many devices and systems to provide information on the parameters being measured or to identify the states of control. In recent years, the concept of computer networking has gradually migrated into the sensor community, and the trend in industry is moving toward distributed control with intelligent sensing architecture. The rapid development and emergence of smart sensor and field network technologies have made the networking of smart transducers an economical and attractive solution for a broad range of measurement and control applications. A Wireless sensor network (WSN) has a large number of small, low-powered sensor nodes (also called motes), usually densely located in the target area and one or more remote sinks organized into a cooperative network. These can be connected to other networks through gateways. Each node is equipped with sensing, processing and communication capabilities. This paper explains in detail the wireless sensor network (WSN) architecture, Network Topologies, standards and protocols. It will delve into other IEEE 1451 standards and discuss how to create WSNs and intelligent interactive devices, and interface with smart sensors and transducers. Moreover, the WirelessHART(Highway Addressable Remote Transducer), IEEE 1451, ZigBee / 802.15.4, and 6LoWPAN standards will be explained. Networking actuators and smart sensors and real-world technical challenges will also be highlighted. Advances in computing and instrumentation have sparked the need of engineering technology graduates who can update and improve manufacturing facilities and product design. This paper is an attempt to expose engineering technology students earlier to WSNs and other emerging technologies in lieu of taking WSN track in their technology curriculum.