Limitations Of IEEE 802.15.4 Based Wireless Mesh Networks For Wireless Localization

Abstract

It is highly desirable to create rapidly and inexpensively deployable mesh networks in certain scenarios. Consider the case of a large storage warehouse; workers are constantly moving in the area and not only do they need to send data periodically but their location needs to be tracked as well. Setting up such network can be accomplished with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, but a mesh network must be created. There would need to be stationary 802.15.4 nodes that join together to form a backbone infrastructure. This backbone infrastructure (mesh network) would allow the workers, using mobile 802.15.4 nodes, to transmit their data from wherever they are as well as permitting the system to localize (find the location) the workers within the warehouse. The backbone would then be responsible for relaying the data received from mobile nodes to destination nodes in areas outside their operating space. This research work aims to shed more light on possible solutions and performance data of the previously described scenario. A model was created to show the behavior of a wireless mesh network built on the technology described in the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Furthermore, models of mesh network routing and the application scenario have been devised in order to evaluate a proposed solution. We use our models to simulate a mesh network and client mobile nodes using the 802.15.4 standard in addition to existing wireless sensor data routing techniques to send data from mobile nodes to various data sinks. The findings will be presented and evaluation will be given as to how many client mobile nodes such network can accommodate.