Practical Evaluation of Partial Network Coding in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

The Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a hot topic now a days, and AAU has introduced the OpenSensor (OS) platform to comply with the research.

The focus for this project is to create a network option on top of the RF communication module on the OpenSensor, implementing the Partial Network Coding (PNC) ideas to minimize transmissions.

PNC introduces a way of distributing data packets in the WSN without the individual sensors have to decode the coded packets in order to put new data into the packet. In theory this works, but is based on various assumptions e.g. that all sensors are within range of each other and every packet is transfered without loses.

The project will be based on the implementation of PNC on the OS in order to make a practical evaluation of PNC. This will include testing on how PNC works if these assumptions are not made, which will bring the conclusion of whether PNC can be used in practice or it is just a theoretical idea.