A Distributed Efficient Architecture for Wireless Sensor Networks

Sensor networking has emerged as a promising tool for monitoring and actuating the devices of the physical world, employing self-organizing networks of battery-powered wireless sensors that can sense, process, and communicate. Though many specific technical challenges remain and deserve much further study, the primary factor currently limiting progress in sensor networks is not these challenges but is instead the lack of an overall sensor network architecture. In this paper, we characterize the unique design requirements of sensor networks infrastructure, and propose a Cubic and Cross-Layer (CCL) sensor network architecture as a suitable architecture for sensor networks. CCL enables cross-layering using a notification service, adaptability of the protocols to application-specific needs, and a communication abstraction for data-centric communication. In our architecture, we argue that the sensor network has a common abstract- sensor service protocol (SSP), which can provide services rich enough for applications and keep the interface platform-independent. While many aspects of deployed sensor networks will be specific to particular applications, we have begun to identify key building blocks that will enable a wide range of applications.