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computer science

OpenWSN

OpenWSN is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OpenWSN rather than just read about it. In short: OpenWSN aims to build an open standard-based and open source implementation of a complete constrained network protocol stack for wireless sensor networks and Internet of Things. The project was created at the University of California Berkeley and extended at the INRIA and at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).

OpenWSN — main illustration
OpenWSN — illustration

Key takeaways

  • OpenWSN belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect OpenWSN to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of OpenWSN from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

OpenWSN aims to build an open standard-based and open source implementation of a complete constrained network protocol stack for wireless sensor networks and Internet of Things. The project was created at the University of California Berkeley and extended at the INRIA and at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). The root of OpenWSN is a deterministic MAC layer implementing the IEEE 802.15.4e TSCH based on the concept of Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH). Above the MAC layer, the Low Power Lossy Network stack is based on IETF standards including the IETF 6TiSCH management and adaptation layer (a minimal configuration profile, 6top protocol and different scheduling functions). The stack is complemented by an implementation of 6LoWPAN, RPL in non-storing mode, UDP and CoAP, enabling access to devices running the stack from the native IPv6 through open standards. OpenWSN is related to other projects including the following:

RIOT OpenMote OpenWSN is available for Linux, Windows and OS X platforms. Current release of OpenWSN is 1.14.0.

References

Illustrations

OpenWSN: The OpenWSN logo
The OpenWSN logo

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OpenWSN

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OpenWSN claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OpenWSN before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OpenWSN ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OpenWSN

In research
OpenWSN appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses OpenWSN in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
OpenWSN is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ambient intelligence, Internet of things, Wireless sensor network, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for OpenWSN outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study OpenWSN in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what OpenWSN means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain OpenWSN out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OpenWSN in simple terms?

OpenWSN aims to build an open standard-based and open source implementation of a complete constrained network protocol stack for wireless sensor networks and Internet of Things. The project was created at the University of California Berkeley and extended at the INRIA and at the Open University of…

Why does OpenWSN matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OpenWSN?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OpenWSN.

Tags

  • Ambient intelligence
  • Internet of things
  • Wireless sensor network

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