Sensor Area Networks (SANs)

[davidbrady]

(07-06-2013 11:40)pgchin Wrote:  Fabulous work David! When you get the bus stuff going, can you spec out cost then or is it still too premature for us to use?

Thanks Pete,

Definitely. I'd be very happy to help you out with a setup. I need to install my Zigbee Gateway and my Digi Cellular router in my bus; hopefully, in the next couple of weeks I can get this done. Then I'll be able to buy a pay-as-you-go M2M data plan. This will allow us to get a feel for the kind of bandwidth required.

So you'd need:

1) Arduino Uno and a Temperature sensor (we can use this to monitor much more, including voltage): $25
2) XBee Pro Series 2 (digital radio): $40,
3) DiGi ConnectPort X2 (ZigBee Gateway): $100,
4) CDMA/GSM Cellular Router: $250 to $300, and a
5) Cellular Data Plan ((buy-as-you-go): $4 to $8 per month

So around $400 will do it. I emphasize that the data plan is a plan that would be useful for just our SAN application. The cellular router is a very capable device that you can hang an 802.11 wireless access point off of and use to connect all your onboard computers to the internet. If you'd like to do this then you'd buy an appropriate data plan.

I'd be thrilled to help you out Pete!