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Simulation study of WSN for Conventional Field Irrigation Method

Conference Paper · August 2012

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 Simulation study of WSN for Conventional Field
Irrigation Method
Nakul Pitolwala Jignesh Patel Sachin Gajjar Chetan Bhatt
Inst. & Control Dept. Inst. & Control Dept Elect. & Comm. Dept. Inst. and Control Dept
Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, VGEC, Chandkheda
Nirma Uni., Ahmedabad Nirma Uni., Ahmedabad Nirma Uni., Ahmedabad Ahmedabad
10micc10@nirmauni.ac.in

Abstract— Optimum irrigation is a key for sustainable conventional method as about 75% irrigation is still done in
agriculture activity. For optimum irrigation scheduling, conventional way [3]. In this paper, modified sensor topology,
monitoring of on-field and environmental parameters are referred here as Zigzag topology is suggested in accordance
necessary. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is proven platform with border method of irrigation. A simulation study using ns2
for on-field parameter measurement. Simulation study of WSN is carried out for comparison between suggested method of
helps to estimate performance, power consumptions, required
sensor deployment and typical grid arrangement in terms of
number of nodes and other important aspects of WSN before the
deployment. In this paper, modified sensor topology, referred as number of nodes, throughput and energy consumption. Next
Zigzag topology, is suggested in accordance with conventional section discusses suitability of ZigBee protocol for concerned
method of irrigation. A simulation study using ns2 is carried out applications along with some important terminology related to
for comparison between suggested method of sensor deployment WSN. Section III elaborates Zigzag topology while section IV
and typical grid arrangement. discusses simulation results and its comparison with typical
grid topology.
Keywords—Wireless Sensor Network, Precision Agriculture, ns2.
II. STANDARD WIRELESS TOPOLOGY

I. INTRODUCTION ZigBee protocol is suitable for WSN for agriculture

application because of less power, low cost and availability of
Civilization depends on agriculture. So, it is important to hardware. ZigBee is an ideal platform for such applications.
develop sustainable and beneficial methods to avail most out Moreover it supports Wireless Personal Area Networks
of it. Better crop production depends mainly on irrigation and (WPAN). In WPAN, the devices can be classified into three
type of soil. In country like India, where there is a shortage of major categories: 1) Co-Ordinator, that acts as a base station
water in most areas it is inevitable to optimally use water and used as a common destination, 2) Router, that acts as a
resources. Yield of agricultural products maximize in case of communicator between other devices in the WPAN and can
optimum water supply. Oversupply as well undersupply both receive as well as send data, 3) End Device, that can only send
hamper the profitability and sustainability of agricultural the data [4], [5].
activity. An inclusive agricultural support system can prove to
be a boon to the sector [1]. An expert system is planned to Across India, conventional irrigation methods based on border
provide efficient irrigation schedule, preventive treatment irrigation is very popular. In this method the entire filed is
against possible pathological conditions and profitable crop divided in smaller segments with the help of border. Irrigation
suggestion. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) could be the is made by opening of border one by one for different
backbone of such agricultural support system due to its low segments. A pictorial view of the same is given in Fig. 1. It
cost, small size, low power consumption, reduced consumes great amount of water. The farmers have a practice
maintenance, great flexibility, portability and scalability to irrigate the field based on the time period. Many a times,
features [1][2]. there is a situation where the field already dries up before or
remains moist even after its pre-decided time period. So for
Irrigation methods used by the farmers are mainly classified as such situations, it becomes important to know the field
(i) conventional method (ii) modern method. Conventional condition before watering the field.
method incudes techniques like border irrigation and canal
irrigation. Whereas, modern methods includes advance Here, in this paper, with the help of ns2, ZigBee based WSN
techniques like – drip irrigation, sprinkler system, etc. has been created to sense and transfer the parameters of the
Although modern methods proved efficient and better field to the Co-Ordinator. To develop a WSN, it is required to
compare to conventional method, its penetration among the place the sensor nodes over the field to monitor or sense the
marginal farmers is not much encouraging. Majority of parameters continuously. But it is important to arrange these
farming activities still depend on conventional method of nodes such that they are the most beneficially for the system in
irrigation due to economical and logistic reasons. It is rational terms of power consumption and healthy data communication
to develop agricultural support system considering [1].

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 III. ZIGZAG TOPOLOGY FOR CONVENTIONAL IRRIGATION
In Zigzad topology, moisture sensor nodes are in diagonal
orientation in the segment of entire field. As discussed earlier,
in the border based conventional irrigation method, the soil
moisture changes in diagonal orientation only. The Zigzag
topology has been shown in Fig.3.

Figure 1. Pictorial view of border based irrigation

(Image from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO))

Through border irrigation, amount of water apply to initial

portion of the segment. This is because this part of the field
under the water supply for larger duration. While the far end
of the field for short duration. Usually for a WSN, grid
topology is considered for most of the applications. The grid
pattern is shown in the Fig. 2 [6].
Figure 3. Zigzag Topology
In case of conventional irrigation methods where border
technique is used, grid topology is not suitable. The moisture There are hardly any changes in the Ambient Temperature and
levels are different in diagonal orientation only, while readings Air Humidity in the particular region of the field. So, there
of horizontally located sensors are almost similar. Thereby should be minimum number of these sensor nodes. But as
nodes become redundant in grid topology. Simply deploying these sensors are cheaper as compared to moisture sensors,
the nodes in grid topology increases the cost of the system these nodes can be used for routing the data from other sensor
without improving the performance. Hence, a new topology, nodes towards the co-ordinator [7]. Hence, all the other nodes
named as Zigzag topology, has to be designed such that are the temperature and air humidity sensor nodes and a
optimum energy and expenses are utilized by sensor nodes. Zigzag pattern is formed as a result. To validate this topology,
The next section describes this topology in detail. simulation study is used to compare it with the standard grid
topology.

Transmission range of the sensor node based on Zigbee is

considered as 100m. Maximum distance between two adjoin
sensors should be 100m. With this scenario, for grid topology
over x2 sq. km area of field, 10x sensor nodes can be placed in
a single column and 10x sensor nodes can be placed in a single
row. So, total number of nodes that should be used to
complete the grid is

10 x × 10 x = 100 x 2nodes (1)

But this accounts a large amount of the cost on the overall use.
Hence, using aforementioned strategy, only one node in a
single column is depleted accounting diagonal of the grid. The
distance between two adjacent nodes of grid is 100m. Hence,
the distance between two nodes on the diagonal is

Figure 2. Grid Topology 1002 + 1002 = 2 × 1 0 0 2 = 1 4 1 .4 2 m (2)

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Hence these nodes will be out of the range of Zigbee sensor With the help of the Zigzag topology, we can reduce the
node. Thus another node is placed around 100m distance from number of sensor nodes used by considering the types of
both the nodes as shown in Fig. 3, forming a Zigzag topology sensor nodes taken into use as shown below:
of the network.
TABLE II. COMPARISON WITH RESPECT TO NUMBER OF
SENSOR NODES
As 10x numbers of nodes can be placed in every column, same
numbers of nodes are present on the diagonal. Also as seen Types of sensor Grid Proposed
from the geometry from Fig. 3, there is also another parallel nodes Topology Topology
diagonal line of nodes along with the main diagonal. Hence Moisture sensor
another 10x number of nodes are used, making a total of 20x 50 10
nodes
nodes and 1 co-ordinator node. Thus Temperature
25 5
sensor nodes
20 x + 1 < 100 x 2
(3) Air Humidity
24 5
sensor nodes
Thus with the help of the Zigzag topology, it is possible to Co-ordinator
reduce the number of nodes used. 1 1
Node
Total Number
IV. COMPARATIVE RESULTS 100 21
of Nodes
For the simulation purpose of the WSN, ns2 version 2.34 has
been used. Following parameters has been considered to
compare both the topologies discussed keeping the total A. Energy consumption of the nodes:
simulation area to be 1 sq. km: For a larger sensor network it becomes important to check on
the energy consumed by the nodes so that the chances of a
TABLE I. SIMULATION PARAMETERS packet drop becomes low and the data integrity is maintained
Parameters Value sufficiently. With the help of awk scripts in NS2, average
energy of all the nodes has been calculated at every instance of
Simulation time 200sec
time and a data file has been created. Interpreting the data of
Time Scale 1 sec = 5 hrs
the files graphically with the help of gnuplot version 4.2 we
Initial energy of avail the results that are shown in Fig. 4.
100 Joules
nodes
Tx power 0.3 Joules
Rx power 0.15 Joules
Distance between
100 m (approx.)
adjacent nodes
Routing protocol AODV
Interval 1 sec (5hrs)

From Fig. 2, the red colored nodes represent the moisture

sensors while green colored nodes represent the humidity and
temperature sensors. Similarly, from Fig. 3, the green colored
nodes represent the moisture sensor nodes and yellow colored
nodes are for other sensor nodes. Using the awk scripts in ns2,
data for the plot are evaluated and interpreted graphically in
gnuplot version 4.2. The results obtained have been discussed
Figure 4. Average Energy Consumption
in the next section.

Thus with the help of the Zigzag topology, it is possible to B. Data Throughput
reduce the number of nodes used. Data throughput can be defined as the total number of
messages per second received at the destination. The data
throughput of the network is the sum of the throughputs from
V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
all destinations as shown in Fig. 5. Throughput is generally
The parameters which are to be inferred from the network are measured to know whether sufficient amount of packets are
number of nodes, energy of the nodes and network throughput received by the co-ordinator or not. With the help of
[8]. throughput, reliability of the topology and the routing method
is determined.

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 [10] H.Y.Tung, K.F.Tsang, K.L.Lam,'Energy Management with ZigBee
Sensor Network’, IEEE, 2008
[11] N.Salman, I.Rasool, A.H.Kemp, 'Overview of the IEEE 802.15.4
standards family for Low Rate Wireless Personal Area
Networks',ISWCS, 2010, pg 701-704
[12] Tomas Lennvall, Stefan Svensson, 'A Comparison of WirelessHART
and ZigBee for Industrial Applications', IEEE, 2008
[13] The network simulator ns-2. http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/.
[14] K. Konstantinos, X. Apostolos, K. Panagiotis, S. George, “Topology
Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks for Precision Agriculture
Applications”, International Conference on Sensor Technologies and
Applications, 2007, pp 526-530.

Figure 5. Comparison of Data throughput

VI. CONCLUSION

The average energy consumed by the nodes in Zigzag

topology is comparatively less than that of grid topology.
Throughput is lower than that in grid, because in grid topology
the total packets sent to the destination are much more than the
packets sent by sources in the Zigzag topology due to larger
number of nodes used. With the help of the Zigzag topology,
the number of sensor nodes used can be reduced without
compromising the performance of WSN. For conventional
irrigation based agriculture application, the proposed topology
proved to be more economical and useful compare to grid
topology of node deployment.

VII. REFERECES

[1] Martinelli M, Ioriatti L, Federico V, Benedetti M, Massa A, ”A WSN-

Based Solution for Precision Farm Purposes”, IGARSS 2009, pp 469-
472.
[2] Anurag D, Siuli Roy, Somprakash Bandopadhyay,'Agro-sense: Precision
Agriculture using sensor-based Wireless Mesh Networks”, First ITU-T
Kaleidioscope Academic Conference, 2008
[3] K Sankaranarayanm, P Nalayani, M Sabesh, S Usha Rani, R P Nachane,
N GopalKrishnan,” Low cost Drip –Cost Effective Precesion Tool in Bt
cotton”, Technical Bulletin No. 1/2011/
[4] Marc Greis Tutorial for ns-2
[5] Product Manual, X-BEE ZNET, Digi International
[6] I. Y. Choi, M. H. Shon, H. Choo, T. M. Chung, “Grid-based Approach
for Energy-Balanced Node Deployment Control in Wireless Sensor
Networks”, International Conference on Convergence and Hybrid
Information Technology, 2008, pp 278-285.
[7] Shining Li, Jin Cui, Zhigang Li, 'Wireless Sensor Network for Precise
Agriculture Monitoring”, Fourth International Conference on Intelligent
Computation Technology and Automation, 2011, pg 307-310
[8] Aqeel-ur-Rehman, ”A review of wireless sensors and networks’
application in agriculture”, , Comput. Stand. Interfaces (2011),
doi:10.1016/j.csi.2011.03.004
[9] Antonio Valente, Raul Morais, Carlos Serodio, Perdo Mestre, Salviano
Pinto, Manuel Cabral, 'A ZigBee Sensor Element for Distributed
Monitoring of Soil Parameters in Environmental Monitoring', IEEE
Sensors, 2007, pg 135-138

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