Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The SU Department of Forestry has the responsibility to monitor, assess and suggest
management processes for water resources in some remote areas. The researchers need
information on wind speed, wind direction, soil run-o , absorption and soil drainage.
Most of the areas they are targeting have no form of GSM/GPRS coverage. This thesis
presents the design and development of a Zigbee based wireless sensor network to send
data from distributed sensor nodes to a ground station, all in a remote area. The ground
station in turn uses a global commercial satellite communications system to send the
eld data to a centralised host computer. This was accomplished through the integration
of the most common and popular open source and commercial electronics prototyping
platforms, namely, Arduino, Digi XBee radio, Raspberry Pi and Iridium modem. The
system relies on an Arduino Uno working as a sensor node, Digi XBee radios for forming
wireless mesh and multi-hop networks, Raspberry Pi being the heart of the ground
station and the Iridium modem to send data to the master station through the Iridium
gateway. A comprehensive literature study was conducted and a prototype of the system
implemented. Various tests were conducted to determine and prove the feasibility of the
system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Departement van Bosbou het die verantwoordelikheid om water hulpbronne in
afgele e areas te monitor, evalueer en voorstelle te maak tov. die bestuur daarvan. Die
navorsers benodig inligting oor windspoed, windrigting, grondwater a
oop, -opname
en -dreinering. Die meeste van die gebiede ter sprake het geen vorm van GSM /
GPRS-dekking nie. Hierdie tesis beskryf die ontwerp en ontwikkeling van 'n Zigbee
gebaseerde radio sensornetwerk om data vanaf verspreide sensornodes te stuur na 'n
grondstasie. Die grondstasie op sy beurt maak gebruik van 'n globale kommersiele
satelliet-kommunikasiestelsel om data van 'n afgele e plek in die veld te stuur na 'n
gesentraliseerde rekenaarstelsel. Dit is gedoen deur van die mees algemene en gewilde
prototipe oopbron en kommersiele platforms, naamlik Arduino, Digi XBee radio, Raspberry
Pi en Iridium modem te integreer. Die sensornodes is gebaseer op 'n Arduino Uno,
met Digi XBee radio's vir die radio- multihop netwerk. Die grondstasie is gebou om die
Raspberry Pi en stuur data aan na die meesterstasie, via die Iridium modem en satellietstelsel.
Na 'n omvattende literatuurstudie, is 'n prototipe van die stelsel ontwerp en
geimplementeer. Omvattende toetse is gedoen om die korrekte werking en bruikbaarheid
van die stelsel te bewys.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96102 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Mafukidze, Harry D. |
| Contributors | Wolhuter, R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xviii, 147 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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