TTCN-3 for Wireless Sensor Networks

TTCN-3 for WSNs

1. Background. 2. Introduction. 3. State of the art. 4. TTCN-3 application. 5. Conclusion.

Background
Mtodos y Tecnologa is involved in different R&D&i project, both national and international using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN):
WSN (European Comission,FP6): Solving major problems in WSNs. ESNA (European, ITEA): Sensor network architecture. RIMSI (Spain, PROFIT): Environmental control for buildings, and agriculture. CENERGIA (Madrid, IMADE): Energy control. SECURAREA (Madrid, IMADE): Radio frequency identification (RFID). PERISEC (Spain, PROFIT): Perimeter security. PROPSI (Spain, PROFIT): Environment monitoring. GETSEC (Madrid, IMADE): Security for dangerous and valuable items.

Introduction to WSN
A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consist of a group of distributed autonomous devices that monitor different physical conditions at different locations. Different physical measurements are taken: environmental conditions like temperature, humidity or brightness; and event-driven like motion, pressure or vibration. The applications of this technology include home automation, environmental control, mobility, healthcare, industrial monitoring or security applications.

Wireless
A WSN is a low rate WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network): Compared to other WPAN, like Bluetooth:
WSNs are focused on control and automation, not in connectivity Use low data rate and low power consumption Networks can support a large number of devices and a long range

The devices: motes

The sensor nodes that constitute a network are commonly known as motes. A mote is a very small device which typically includes:
A microcontroller. Sensor(s) / Actuator(s). Low frequency radio transciever. A battery (two AA-s typically).

Network topology
A sensor network normally constitutes a wireless ad-hoc network:
No network infrastructure is needed. A node can always find a path to route the information.

Network Coordinator Router End Device

Data processing
MOTES SERVER CLIENT

MESH NETWORK

Data collected by the sensors are routed to a client for processing

State of the art

The firmware for each mote has a different protocol stack depending on the vendor. There is only a standard defined for the two lowest OSI layers: IEEE802.15.4. There are currently different solutions for the rest of the layers, no widely adopted standard.
ZigBee: home applications. WirelessHART and ISA SP-100.11: industrial automation. 6lowpan: IPv6 over IEEE802.15.4. Zensys' Z-Wave and Coronis' Wavenis: propietary.

State of the art (II)

Different and specific Operating Systems are also used:
TinyOS Contiki MANTIS

Algorithmic research in WSN mostly focuses on the design of energy aware algorithms for data transmission. Different routing algorithms used: pro-active, reactive, flow oriented, hybrid.

What to test
What needs to be tested:
Single motes firmware (one mote + one simulation). Network protocols (several motes cooperating). Final application services (whole network + application).

What could be done purely with TTCN-3:

Everything, except simulating the physical parameters Great advantage in portability, since the tests will be written just once

Problems
General problems:
Great number of motes: complicated deployment. Many phisical related parameters. Only physical and link protocols are standard.

TTCN-3 specific:
System Adapter complicated. Extra software to add physical models

Applications are tested with the use of simulators/emulators

TTCN-3 solution
Embedded system problem Some approaches have been identified:

RADIO SIMULATION

EMULATION

USE OF A GATEWAY

To simulate the whole protocol stack

Use an emulator to be able to embed the system in a PC

Issue commands to the WSN

Emulation
Bring the application to our PC Test the functionality and the routing protocols Able to emulate as many motes as desired Drawback: unrealistic

TTCN-3 code

Application

Emulation Adapter
Specific OS

TCP/IP (or different processes)

Radio simulation
Connect with real motes through a radio interface
Full PC simulation (radio card) Coordinator mote connected through a port (drivers) Useful on the field Drawback: less flexible

TTCN-3 code

Radio adaptation

Gateway
Play the role of the final application Can send commands to the network Motes working on demand

Conformance testing
ZigBee defines PICS (Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement):
IEEE 802.15.4 PICS Network layer PICS Security PICS Application layer PICS

PICS proforma:
M Mandatory O Optional O.n Optional, but support of at least one of the groups labeled N/A Not applicable X Prohibited

Conclusions
WSN is a growing technology that will become widely used in the near future Different solutions are currently used, in which testing has not been satisfactory resolved yet TTCN-3 could be adopted for a variety of reasons:
Ease the deployment Evaluate routing algorithms Portability/conformance

Physical parameters could be introduced by combining TTCN-3 with specific hardware or software

CONTACT: Jess Domnguez Colino

jesus.dominguez@mtp.es