User Manual
Table Of Contents
- RK-5409-5 Reference Kit for 916 MHz MeshScape™ Systems
- Contents
- About This Guide
- 1: Introduction
- 2: Installing the MeshScape System
- 3: Running MeshScape Network Monitor
- MeshScape Network Monitor Overview
- Configuring a Node’s Operation
- Configuring Sample Interval of Single Node
- Configuring Sample Interval of all Network Nodes
- Configuring Digital I/O Operation
- Configuring UART Operation
- Configuring AD (analog-to-digital) Converter Operation
- Configuring RS-232 Operation (MN-5409 only)
- Configuring RS-485 Operation (MN-5409 only)
- Using Watch Function to Display Configuration Information
- Labeling an End Node or Mesh Node
- Configuring Persistence Attributes
- Selecting a Com Port on the Host PC
- Configuring Serial and ADC Data Formats
- Turning Event Tracking On/Off
- Broadcasting Data to All Nodes.
- Creating an Event Log File
- Viewing the Contents of an Event Log File
- Viewing MeshScape Statistics
- 4: Using the MeshScape API
- A: Sample Application
- B: Performing Firmware Upgrades and Configuring Device IDs
- Glossary
- Index
RK-5409-5 Reference Kit User’s Guide 1-3
Wireless Sensor Networking Overview
In an ad hoc network, sensor nodes consisting of a sensor attached to a wireless module can be
randomly placed and moved as needed. If the network needs to scale up, additional sensor
nodes are easily added. The new sensor nodes and surrounding network will do the work of
discovering each other and establishing communication paths through single- and multi-hop
paths. All this is made possible through the use of robust, efficient network protocols
developed specifically for wireless sensor networks.
Wireless Sensor Network Components
This section describes the software and hardware that comprise a wireless sensor network.
System Software
The software required to integrate and operate a wireless sensor network resides as firmware in
the system modules and in the application platform as a set of API functions or network
monitoring system (NMS).
Module Firmware
Module firmware is a small, efficient piece of code that incorporates the module into a larger
ad hoc network. It “drives” the module's operation as part of the larger ad hoc network.
The firmware is also responsible for packaging the analog and digital sensor data into digital
packets and delivering them across the wireless sensor network.
API
An API, or application programming interface, is a set of commonly used functions for
streamlining application development. Used by application developers, an API provides hooks to
integrate the application platforms with the modules on the wireless sensor network.
API functions are grouped into “libraries.” In wireless sensor networks, there are two different
API libraries:
• High-level library: These functions are used to integrate the application with the gateway
module.
• Low-level library: These functions are used to integrate the sensor/actuator with the end
node module.
Network Monitoring System
A network monitoring system (NMS) is software used to interface with a particular wireless
sensor network, eliminating the need for any programming. Through the NMS’s graphical user
interface (GUI), network operators are able to see the various nodes of their wireless sensor
network. Depending on the type of network, control commands can also be issued through the
NMS. For example, a pin on a digital interface between an end node and an actuator can be set
to high to change the state of the actuator.