Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The discovery of sparse graph codes, used in forward error correction strate- gies, has had an unrivaled impact on Information theory over the past decade. A recent advancement in this field, called Fountain codes, have gained much attention due to its intelligent rate adaptivity, and lend itself to applications such as multicasting and broadcasting networks. These particular properties can be considered valuable in a wireless sensor network setting as it is capable of providing forward error correction, and the added conceptual network protocol related extensions. A wireless sensor network testbed in France, called SensLAB, provides an experimental facility for researchers to develop and evaluate sensor network protocols, aside from a simulation environment. Tremendous value can be added to the SensLAB community if an appropriate forward error correction design, such as Fountain codes, is deemed feasible for use on such a platform. This thesis investigates the use of Fountain codes, in a binary erasure channel environment, as a forward error correction strategy for the distribution of reliable data content over the SensLAB platform. A short message length LT code using two different decoding mechanisms were developed and evaluated for possible implementation. Furthermore, a short message length Raptor code was developed by using supplementary theory and optimisation techniques that permit scalability in terms of the message size. The results favoured the Raptor code design as it performs close to near optimal while still satisfying the rateless- and universality property, at low computational complexity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontdekking van yl-grafiekkodes, van toepassing op foutkorreksie strategieë, het onlangs 'n ongeewenaarde impak op Informasieteorie gehad. In 'n onlangse vooruitgang in hierdie veld, genoem Fonteinkodes, word daar meer fokus geplaas op die intelligente tempo aanpassingsvermoë van hierdie kodes, wat nuttige toepassing kan inhou in multi-saai- en uitsaai netwerke. Hierdie eienskappe kan moontlik as waardevol beskou word in draadlose sensor netwerke weens die fout regstellingsvermoë en die bykomende konseptuele netwerk protokol verwante uitbreidings. 'n Draadlose sensor netwerk toetsplatvorm in Frankryk, genoem die SensLAB, bied navorsers die geleentheid om eksperimentele sensor netwerk protokolle te ontwikkel en te toets buite 'n tipiese simulasie-omgewing. Groot waarde kan bygevoeg word aan die SensLAB gemeenskap indien 'n geskikte foutkorreksie strategie ontwikkel word, soos Fonteinkodes, en as geskik beskou kan word vir hierdie platvorm. In hierdie tesis word Fonteinkodes saam met die SensLAB platvorm ondersoek, binne die raamwerk van 'n binêre verlieskanaal, om vir foutkorreksie oor die verspreiding van betroubare data in SensLAB op te tree. 'n Kort boodskap LT kode word voorgestel deur van twee verskillende dekoderings meganismes gebruik te maak. 'n Alternatief, genaamd Raptorkode, was ook ondersoek. 'n Raptorkode. 'n Kort boodskap Raptor kode, wat ontwikkel is met bykomende teorie en optimeringstegnieke, word ook voorgestel. Die bykomende tegnieke bied 'n skaleerbare boodskap lengte terwyl dit tempoloos en universeel bly, en lae kompleksiteit bied.