Intelligent sensor hub benefits for wireless sensor networks

An innovative product type is enabling wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to become pervasive: The intelligent sensor hub. This device type integrates one or more sensor die with a 32-bit microcontroller and memory in an architecture optimized to manage, process and fusion a cluster of different sensor types. Integrated analog and digital interfaces allow connections to a wide spectrum of external sensors and systems. Sensor networks can be efficiently managed at system and sub-system levels, allowing very low-power consumption, high flexibility through software, and adaptability by managing new kinds of sensors. An implementation proposal for a WSN demonstrates the key benefits of this concept at the node and system levels. This includes minimizing data transfers and intelligent interaction between the different nodes. Interfaces within a wireless network, like ZigBee™, are also becoming seamless and modular. Moreover, the small size -3 by 3 millimeter - and the low-cost of such new solutions are required for WSNs to become widely adopted in many applications.