Wireless sensor network for animal monitoring using both antenna and base-station diversity

Wireless sensor networks are widely used for condition monitoring applications. Much effort has been invested in improving the performance of such networks. Diversity is a well-proven technique in this context. Here, we present the practical application of base station and antenna diversity. Empirical measurements of performance in a realistic environment are reported and a statistical analysis of the resulting data is presented.

I. Introduction

The term Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) refers to a group of spatially dispersed sensors that can communicate with each other via the wireless medium [1].