Wireless Sensor Network Motes: A Comparative Study

Wireless Sensor networks are finding way in almost every field ranging from domestic to military applications. A sensor node also called a mote is equipped with sensing, processing and communicational capabilities. However, the deployment of a particular mote is highly application specific. Different applications require different parameters like some prefer small size while others prefer large memory. The study presents description of different sub-systems of motes and a comparative analysis of few important motes based on physical dimensions, processing, storage and communication capabilities, power supply and sensor support. The study suggests that SHIMMER is best suitable for health monitoring. Sun SPOT is a good option in terms of large memory while IRIS can be used for underground applications due to its extended range. The study aims to provide an ease of selecting an appropriate mote for deployment in an application specific wireless sensor network.