Wireless Structural Sensors using Reliable Communication Protocols for Data Acquisition and Interrogation

A new design of a wireless sensing system intended for structural monitoring is proposed. Key performance attributes of the wireless sensing unit include simultaneous accommodation of multiple sensors, high-resolution analog-to-digital data conversion, overall low-power demand and a computational core. The computational core is a powerful component of the design that allows real-time execution of embedded engineering procedures. Capabilities of the wireless sensing units for peer-to-peer communication enables collaboration between wireless sensing units with little to no penalty on the power consumption of the global system, broadening the role wireless sensing units can play in screening structures for indication of damage. To ensure the robustness of the data acquisition, state machine concepts are explored in the communication protocol design. Various validation tests are performed on a laboratory model structure to highlight the performance of the hardware and software components of the prototype wireless monitoring system.