Wireless Microclimate Sensor

The paper discusses the development of wireless microclimate sensor. The sensor forms the generic component of a microclimate wireless sensor network (WSN). The network is based on IEEE 802.15.4 low power wireless protocol supported by ZigBee stack. The key objective of the network is to support remote monitoring and management of large orchards. The designed sensor together with a locally developed cell modem facilitate the main components for defining a microclimate wireless sensor network that could be accessed remotely. The developed sensor takes care of the critical environmental sensing for the horticultural application needs. It also takes care of energy management and self- replenishment. Preliminary results of the design sensor reflect good performance in coverage of large horticultural fields at a reasonably low cost. Five Sunlight hours a day would keep the sensor functional through its storage mechanism. The architecture allows for both power and location awareness. Identification of the field areas that require attention could be made through either light emission or embedded location awareness algorithm. Range of view for the frost alarm system would be in the region of 500 meters. Initial testing reflects promising results.