Sensor Area Networks (SANs)

[davidbrady]

Got some toys in the mail today.

Here you can see how tiny this stuff is. Starting on the left is an XBee shield for my Arduino Uno, an XBee USB Explorer, 2 XBee Dongle Explorer's, and 2 XBee Pro Series-2B ZigBee 63mW radio transceivers.


The XBee Pro plugged into the USB Explorer and then into my laptop:


The XBee Pro plugged into the USB Dongle Explorer and then into my laptop:


My Arduino Uno:


And, my XBee shield plugged into my Ardunio Uno. The sockets on top are for the XBee Pro:


The XBee Pro has a max data rate of 250kbps, a 63mW output transmitter, a built-in printed circuit card antenna, and a 1 mile range. Series-2B allows mesh networks.

I have one configured as a router and one configured as a coordinator. I should have my laptops talking to each other via XBee shortly. Stay tuned!

[jwasnewski]

What'chall gonna do next month when that stuff is obsolete? Lol

[davidbrady]

ROTFL Leroy! Thank goodness it's inexpensive stuff. You're absolutely right, this industry is exploding and changing every day. Before long we'll be wearing this stuff, or worse yet, having it implanted!

[jwasnewski]

(05-17-2013 23:03)davidmbrady Wrote:  ROTFL Leroy! Thank goodness it's inexpensive stuff. You're absolutely right, this industry is exploding and changing every day. Before long we'll be wearing this stuff, or worse yet, having it implanted!

Not me hoss! You go ahead. I ain't wearing that stuff or implanting it. Actually, I am headed South trying to find my way back home as Albert Collins wrote. I dumped my computer and house phone. What is left is this cell phone and if I did not need it for business I would chunk it. I would dig out the old record a message box downstairs. I would check it when I get home whenever that is. And I am damn serous. I am getting off the grid.

[DOSZORROS]

David:

Where can a person obtain a book in laymans terms giving an introductory level education in SANS? I am reluctant to even ask as I see this as something like getting interested in cameras, airplanes, girls, etc. Where does it end?

[davidbrady]

Hi George,

Thanks!

Ned Bedinger (Nedb) started This Thread in which he introduces us to the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and BeagleBone.

The idea of a sensor area network for our buses to help monitor and troubleshoot and as a fun toy resonates with me. In a previous life I built networking gear and the fun of connecting devices is still there.

The idea of a self-healing mesh network is just plain cool to me. A mesh is simple a fully connected grid of devices. You can imagine that in such a grid there are multiple paths from one point to any other. It's self-healing in the sense that if one path goes down an alternate path will restore service.

This is really nothing new. What's new is having this capability for personal use using low-power low-costs tiny-form-factor battery-powered digital radios. Well it turns out there's a standards body that sprung up around five years ago to work on this. It's the ZigBee Standard. These things are proliferating.

I'll continue to post about my findings- I'm learning with you. I simply think that motorhomes are a great way to use these devices. I think it can be done w/o complexity and with reliability. The idea of identifying a trouble area, slapping on a sensor and have output displayed on your android, iphone, ipad, or laptop is just too cool!

There's a good selection of books at Sparkfun > Books, and here's one that's I bought which is a good introduction to the topic: Building Wireless Sensor Networks: with ZigBee, XBee, Arduino, and Processing.

[patticake]

Think you can say that in layman's terms, so us dummies(who can barely turn on a computer), understand. Thanks.

[davidbrady]

(05-19-2013 18:43)patticake Wrote:  Think you can say that in layman's terms, so us dummies(who can barely turn on a computer), understand. Thanks.

ROTFL

It's LEGO's for adults Steve! Talk about being rusty. It took me all day to get wine running on my Linux machine! It works though; I can now run windows apps on Linux.

[mbulriss]

David,

I have been watching this with some interest. I had my engineers take a look at Arduinos, Raspberry Pi and Beagle Bones for a potential project. When you get it to the point to work like the Digitell (or Digitel?) in my old 83 PT40, then you will have a rollout product. You are adding a speech processor, right? The Digitell was a cool little helper. Hurry, I miss the "little talking man" as we used to refer to it! LOL

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX

(05-19-2013 21:19)davidmbrady Wrote:  

(05-19-2013 18:43)patticake Wrote:  Think you can say that in layman's terms, so us dummies(who can barely turn on a computer), understand. Thanks.

ROTFL

It's LEGO's for adults Steve! Talk about being rusty. It took me all day to get wine running on my Linux machine! It works though; I can now run windows apps on Linux.

[pgchin]

(05-19-2013 18:43)patticake Wrote:  Think you can say that in layman's terms, so us dummies(who can barely turn on a computer), understand. Thanks.

Hey Steve,
Do not sell yourself short! Anybody who takes apart HWH hydraulic jacks and replaces O-rings has my respect! What David wants to do is take all the "engine sensors and other chassis sensors" currently installed and combine them into a "network / connect them all together" BUT they will be all connected together with multiple paths to a reporting device so there is redundancy in case a pathway is down / broken". Think VMspec on steroids....... Example, say you want to read the engine temp on a device like computer, pad, phone BUT the normal "path" or how the devices normally gets the info is broken, well the engine temp will have an ALTERNATE path to send its info to the device.............. definitely Star wars stuff!
PS Also if a sensor currently does not exist, he want to use a remote/ portable "sensor", place it near the "trouble area" so one could look at the info on the device (computer, pad, phone) to help diagnose the trouble area / issue.