Configuring and managing a large‐scale monitoring network: solving real world challenges for ultra‐low‐powered and long‐range wireless mesh networks

Abstract In creating wireless networking solutions suitable for deployment in harsh, unpredictable and widespread environments, we were confronted with a series of problems as yet unsolved by commercially available technologies. The purpose of this article is to describe how we addressed mission‐critical customer requirements by developing a wireless technology explicitly for devices in ultra‐low‐power (ULP) and long‐range wireless mesh networks. The key end‐points in our target implementation are battery‐operated devices located in hard‐to‐reach places, but which are nonetheless expected to offer a lifespan of several years without human intervention. We provide an overview of the technical requirements for building ULP networks, with a focus on configuration and management (including patent pending self‐configuration and dynamic‐routing features). This is followed by a case study of an existing 25,000‐node wireless network deployed for an automatic meter reading (AMR) solution, and examples of provisioning individual nodes in complex real‐world networks. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.