cei@upm.

es

Architecture of a WSN
Topologies

Centro de Electrnica
Industrial
Universidad Politcnica de Madrid

Introduction

Wireless Sensor Networks can be created in very

different ways
Topology is the art of organizing the network

The topology is established by a protocol of topology building

or by physical specialization of the nodes.
This information is used by the routing protocol (routing is the
technique of selecting the nodes between the source and the
destination)

WSNs are especial, because

(they are wireless)

a wireless network is flat in the sense that each node can
access to all the nodes under its communication range.
may be very dense, resulting in many connection possibilities.

One of the main characteristics of a WSN is that it has

no infrastructure.

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

The main issue about the topology is

How do we connect the nodes?

Much in line with the deployment

strategy for the solution

The chosen topology depends on the
application, the number of hops for
transmitting a message, the
characteristics to be optimized
The topology affects features of the
WSN like

NODE SET
gateway
router
End node

Robustness
Latency
HW requirements (memory / computing
power)
Complexity of data routing
Power consumption
Capacity / modularity
Synchronization mechanism

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

The main issue about the topology is

How do we connect the nodes?

NODE SET
gateway
router
end node

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

The main issue about the topology is

How do we connect the nodes?

NODE SET
gateway
router
end node

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

The main issue about the topology is

How do we connect the nodes?

NODE SET
gateway
router
end node

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

Tree
Each node is in a different level and each node only can

communicate with its parent and children

A problem is that if one node fails, its descendants can do it too,
unless the network recompose automatically
Other problem is the bottlenecks creation, specially close to the
base station.
Main advantages:
Low power consumption
Low memory requirements for routing
Low processing requirements once the network has been
created
Tree topology

Root

High Scalability
High communication capabilities
Low power consumption
Communication symmetry
Low memory requirements
Low processing requirements
HW homogeneity
Low cost
Low latency
Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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Star
Very widely used in infrastructured networks (WiFi)
Bottleneck, no spatial scalability, high power, not very appropriate

for WSNs
Main advantages:
One router, many nodes
Widely extended (WiFi type)

Star topology
High Scalability
High communication capabilities
Low power consumption
Communication symmetry
Low memory requirements
Low processing requirements
HW homogeneity
Low cost
Low latency
Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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Mesh

Mesh topology

Each node is autonomous and is connected to

other nodes n such a way that data can be sent
between any two nodes
ZigBee can be mesh
This type of topology is useful in WSNs, mainly to
carry out distributed processing
Mesh topology
High Scalability

High communication capabilities

Low power consumption

Communication symetry

Low memory requirements

Low processing requirements

HW homogeneity

Low cost
Low latency

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Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

Backbone
A backbone is a linear network of nodes
The nodes within the backbone deal with the network

processing and the traffic management

Bottlenecks, like in the tree.
More simple nodes can be connected to the backbone
Star: it is a backbone with one node in the back

Mesh topology
High Scalability
High communication capabilities
Low power consumption
Communication symmetry

Backbone
element

Low memory requirements

Low processing requirements
HW homogeneity
Low cost
Low latency
Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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Hierarchical in clusters
This topology has a structure with a lot of trees connected
to other nodes called , that are completely connected
among each other
Completely
connected
root

Mesh topology
High Scalability
High communication capabilities
Low power consumption
Communication symmetry
Low memory requirements
Low processing requirements
HW homogeneity
Low cost
Low latency
Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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Clustered
The network is organized in groups called clusters
Some nodes have special characteristics locally
Each group is controlled by a cluster head

Local referee
Create more stable routing tables
They organize the traffic before reaching the sink
They don't need special HW

Highly scalable
Mesh topology

Clusterheads

High Scalability
High communication capabilities
Low power consumption
Communication symmetry
Low memory requirements
Low processing requirements
HW homogeneity
Low cost
Low latency
Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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Overlay
Similar to clustered, but with physical hierarchy
Therefore, the nodes with special functions are more

powerful
In these cases, the cluster heads can create a so called
meta network, more reliable because the nodes are more
powerful
Mesh topology

Low latency

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Compatibility with other deployment methods

High Scalability
High communication capabilities

Clusterheads with
special hardware

Low power consumption

Communication symmetry
Low memory requirements
Low processing requirements
HW homogeneity
Low cost

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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WSN topology proposal: an example

Virtual fence in a school

Public garden

500 x 750 m

Each boy/girl has a WSN

Do Not enter

playground

road
road

node
There are obstacles
(trees, plants, others)
we have nodes with
different sensors (which
ones?) and others with
actuators (which ones?)
The responsibles of the
school may also have
nodes and sensors
IR Usound (presence) + radio
Backbone topology

building

Radio, ID, sound actuator,

(accelerometer) mesh
Radio, ID, star topology
Wireless Sensor Networks
2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

Main entrance fence

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Summary
Mesh

Tree

Backbone

JIK

Clustered

Overlay

High Scalability

High communication capabilities

Low power consumption

Communication symetry

Low memory requirements

Low processing requirements

HW homogeneity

Low cost

Low latency

Compatibility with other deployment methods

Wireless Sensor Networks

2015/16
Centro de Electrnica

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