PRACTICAL IMPLENTATION OF WIRELESS

INTEGRATED NETWORK SENSORS (WINS)

1. Introduction

Wireless Integrated Network Sensors (WINS) now provide a new monitoring and control
capability for monitoring the borders of the country. Using this concept we can easily
identify a stranger or some terrorists entering the border. The border area is divided
into number of nodes. Each node is in contact with each other and with the main node.
The noise produced by the foot-steps of the stranger are collected using the sensor. This
sensed signal is then converted into power spectral density and the compared with
reference value of our convenience. Accordingly the compared value is processed using a
microprocessor, which sends appropriate signals to the main node. Thus the stranger is
identified at the main node. A series of interface, signal processing, and communication
systems have been implemented in micro power CMOS circuits. A micro power
spectrum analyzer has been developed to enable low power operation of the entire WINS
system.
Thus WINS require a Microwatt of power. But it is very cheaper when compared
to other security systems such as RADAR under use. It is even used for short distance
communication less than 1 Km. It produces a less amount of delay. Hence it is reasonably
faster. On a global scale, WINS will permit monitoring of land, water, and air resources
for environmental monitoring. On a national scale, transportation systems, and borders
will be monitored for efficiency, safety, and security. In the context of this application, we
discuss how to embed WINS nodes in a Wireless local network, and describe a prototype
platform enabling these functions, including remote control and analysis of sensor-
network operation.
2. Wins System Architecture / Block Diagram Of WINS

The WINS (Wireless Integrated Network Sensor) architecture includes Sensor, data
convertor, signal processing, & control functions. Micropower RF Communication
provides bidirectional network access for low bit rate, short range communication. The
microwave components operate continuously for event recognization, while the network
interface operate at low duty cycle.
These networks are developed to support communication over long range (up to 1km or
more) with link bit rate over 100kbps. In contrast to conventional wireless networks, the
WINS network must support large numbers of sensors in a local area with short range
and low average bit rate communication (less than 1kbps). The network design must
consider the requirement to service dense sensor distributions with an emphasis on
recovering environment information. Multihop communication yields large power and
scalability advantages for WINS networks. Multihop communication, therefore, provides
an immediate advance in capability for the WINS narrow Bandwidth devices. However,
WINS Multihop Communication networks permit large power reduction and the
implementation of dense node distribution. The multihop communication has been shown
in the figure 2. The figure 1 represents the general structure of the wireless integrated
network sensors (WINS) arrangement.

Continuous operation low duty cycle

Figure 1. The wireless integrated network sensor (WINS) architecture.
8. Block Diagram Representation of the overall system

Figure 2: Block Diagram for tone generation and transmission

Figure 3: Block Diagram of decoding unit (central RX)

Figure 4: Block Diagram for WWW integration. (Parsing data to database)
WINS NODE ARCHITECTURE : -

The WINS node architecture (Figure 1) is developed to enable continuous sensing, event
detection, and event identification at low power. Since the event detection process must
occur continuously, the sensor, data converter, data buffer, and spectrum analyzer must
all operate at micro power levels. In the event that an event is detected, the spectrum
analyzer output may trigger the microcontroller. The microcontroller may then issue
commands for additional signal processing operations for identification of the event
signal. Protocols for node operation then determine whether a remote user or neighboring
WINS node should be alerted. The WINS node then supplies an attribute of the identified
event, for example, the address of the event in an event look-up-table stored in all
network nodes. Total average system supply currents must be less than 30µ A. Low
power, reliable, and efficient network operation is obtained with intelligent sensor nodes
that include sensor signal processing, control, and a wireless network interface.
Distributed network sensor devices must continuously monitor multiple sensor systems,
process sensor signals, and adapt to changing environments and user requirements, while
completing decisions on measured signals.

Figure 2. WINS nodes (shown as disks)

The above figure shows the architecture of WINS NODES which are shown as disks.
These are distributed at high density in an environment to be monitored. Multihop
Communication permits low power operation of dense WINS networks. WINS node data
is transferred over the asymmetric wireless link to an end user or to a conventional
wireline or wireless network service through a WINS network bridge.
The WINS NG nodes combine microsensor technology, low power distributed signal
processing, low power computation, and low power, low cost wireless and/or wired
networking capability in a compact system. The WINS NG networks provide sensing,
local control, remote reconfigurability, and embedded intelligent systems in structures,
materials, and environments.

MAJOR COMPONENTS USED : -

The complete unit comprises of 9 modules. Each module does a specific task by
transforming information from one form into another.

I. The ADC unit: This unit transforms the basic information i.e. the voltage
status into discrete levels, which can be directly interfaced with other part of the
circuit.
• LM3914 based
• ADC0804 based

II. Data Processing and Controller Unit: This unit contains the 8051
microcontroller, which is interfaced to the ADC and controls the rest of the circuit
corresponding to the value obtained from the ADC. Microcontrollers are used to
add intelligence to the circuit.
 Figure 3: Block Diagram showing 8051 interfaced with ADC

III. DTMF generator IC triggering unit: Makes use of the classic Opto-
coupler-Darlington combination to drive relays and shorting the IC pins for tone
generation.
For this our first attempt was with the use of MOSFET as a switch for shorting
but on analysis we realized that the ON resistance of the MOSFET was too high
(nearly 600 ohms) to be used for the IC. So we had to look at Relays.
Relays brought in a whole new set of problems while interfacing (due to high
current requirements and the fact that they load the IC itself). To get around this
we used the classical Opto-Coupler (MCT2E)-Darlington (TIP122) combination
to drive the relays at their required current levels.

IV. DTMF tone generation unit: This unit generates a specific tone for a
given battery condition thus making the information ready to be transmitted
through the RF band. The tones are generated by shorting 2 terminals physically
(done by relays).
 Figure 15: Output Frequency

V. FM transmitter: This unit modulates the tone in the audio range into the
FM range carrier frequency at around 100 MHz.

We have built 3 types of transmitters for different application needs. Two of these
are transistor (discrete components) based and 1 is based on a commercial grade
VCO (MAX 2606).

The basic structure of each of the transmitters is an oscillator followed by 1 or 2

stages of RF tuned amplifiers and finally a power amplifier stage to be interfaced
with an antenna.

Oscillator Tuned Amp Tuned Amp Power Amp

Figure 16: FM TX Block Diagram

VI. FM receiver: This unit is the counterpart of the transmitter section and
demodulates the carrier frequency to get back the status defining audible DTMF
tone.
 VII. Tone Decoding Unit: The tone decoding unit uses the 8870 DTMF tone
decoder IC. The decoder also uses a 3.57 MHz xtal for generating the reference
frequency. It takes in the tone and generates a corresponding BCD nibble to each
tone.

VIII. The Circuit-to-PC interface using uC: This part of the device deals with
the task of sending the decoded BCD nibble from the decoder output to the server.
For this we used an ATMEL 89C52 microcontroller capable of serially
transmitting data. The uC monitored the decoded data at its port 2 and transmitted
it when asked from the server side.

IX. RTProggy & RTParser: Software for server to monitor the status at first
into a text file and then parsing the same into a database.

X. ASP Script: This script is used for giving an interface to the user across
the web. Server Side Script running to give a user interface to see the status of
attached devices whose status is being monitored.

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF WINS : -

If a stranger enters the border, his foot-steps will generate harmonic signals. It can be
detected as a characteristic feature in a signal power spectrum. Thus, a spectrum analyzer
must be implemented in the WINS digital signal processing system. The spectrum
analyzer resolves the WINS input data into a low-resolution power spectrum. Power
spectral density (PSD) in each frequency “bins” is computed with adjustable band
location and width. Bandwidth and position for each power spectrum bin is matched to
the specific detection problem. The WINS spectrum analyzer must operate at µ W power
level. So the complete WINS system, containing controller and wireless network
interface components, achieves low power operation by maintaining only the micropower
components in continuous operation. The WINS spectrum analyzer system, shown in
Figure 7, contains a set of parallel filters.

Figure 7. WINS micropower spectrum analyzer architecture.

CONCLUSION : -

A series of interface, signal processing, and communication systems have been

implemented in micropower CMOS circuits. A micropower spectrum analyzer has been
developed to enable low power operation of the entire WINS system. Thus WINS require
a Microwatt of power. But it is very cheaper when compared to other security systems
such as RADAR under use. It is even used for short distance communication less than 1
Km. It produces a less amount of delay. Hence it is reasonably faster. On a global scale,
WINS will permit monitoring of land, water, and air resources for environmental
monitoring. On a national scale, transportation systems, and borders will be monitored
for efficiency, safety, and security.

FUTURE SCOPE : -

The system proves to be a major step towards WINS and stepping stone to pervasive
computing however, inherent in the system, are delays due to operation speed of encoder
and decoders. These issues along with the parasitic effects of interconnects can be
minimized by developing an integrated circuit incorporating all the blocks of a sensor
node. The range of operation, scalability and power requirements can be further improved
by adopting the multi hop communication architecture (see Appendix E for details). The
current system has only been tested for single hop communication. The power
requirement of the system has to be further scaled down to enable deeply embedded
WINS operating over a long period of time with battery support. If these devices can be
made to operate by scavenging energy from the environment (through photocells) then
they can be exploited on a large scale for monitoring. The development of system on chip
(SOC) is an absolute necessity to make it integrated with the environment. The
communication channel needs to be scrutinized carefully for effects of noise on the
transmission. The system at present posses’ threat due to absence of integrated security
measures for data encryption and authentication. With these enhancements we can exploit
the physical limits of these (densely distributed networks of embedded sensors, controls
and processors) for pervasive computing performance.
In this paper we have concentrated in the most important application, Border Security.