Distributed microflow sensor arrays and networks: design of architectures and communication protocols

Abstract

Distributed microflow sensor arrays and networks are built from collections of spatially scattered, intelligent microflow sensor nodes. They can enhance the reliability and fault tolerance of the system. A new cluster network architecture and two original alternatives of fault-tolerant time-out communication protocol are described. Teamwork integration evaluator/micro-electromechanical system, a micro-electromechanical system sensor network simulation tool, was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the network architectures and communication protocols.

Acknowledgement

Research was supported in part by an Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund and by the PRISM Center at Purdue University.