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To insure the miniature load cell and network range, protocols designed for WSN's such as ZigBee use a multi-hop, mesh strategy to deliver data. In a multi-hop mesh network, a node can communicate directly with an access point (router, modem, gateway, etc.) or use its neighboring node to "hop" the information until it reaches the access point. So rather than increasing the range by turning up the radio power and decreasing battery life, multi-hop mesh technology allows the network's range to extend beyond 100 meters without increasing the power. An added benefit of a mesh system is if one path is blocked, the network will self-heal and use an alternate path back to the access point.

WSN's are similar to Wi-Fi networks but differ in a few important ways. First, the nodes on the network are not PC's but 'smart' sensors used to measure the physical world. Second, WSN's are optimized for low-power to conserve the battery life of a sensor node. Third, they are generally designed to use less network bandwidth than Wi-Fi because the amount of data is considerably less. While this explanation leaves out a significant number of technical details and exceptions, it should help provide a basic understanding of a wireless sensor network.
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Steve Thomas is a technology entrepreneur with a specialty in wireless sensor technologies. Thomas is the founder and CEO of Wirefree Corporation, a company that develops smart wireless sensor technologies and active RFID systems. The company provides wireless sensor applications and wireless electronics for energy management, environmental monitoring, safety, proximity, and location detection among other. Thomas holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from the College of William & Mary in Virginia and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the American University in Washington, D.C.

One of the biggest mistakes users make is the selecting of a motion sensor solely on the area it can cover. Customers should also consider the type and size of motion that needs to be detected. Remember that a motion sensor that can cover a specified area may not be effective in detecting motion of interest which can disappoint and of course be frustrating.
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Another mistake that customers make is to buy an infrared sensor that confuses white light for movement. If sunlight or glare shines in the coverage area inevitably the sensor will go off and of course triggers any device connected to it. This is called false alarm and people hate that. Customers should seek a sensor that comes with white light immunity, which is ideal in areas where there is a lot of glare such as near a window.

Some users are not aware that infrared sensor units are designed to use with a specific device. Generally these devices are burglar alarms, lights and security cameras. A good example is a customer purchasing an infrared sensor to use with an alarm when it is designed to use with a security camera. It may work fine, but a regular problem is the sensor inaccurately activating.

Customers tend to hear a lot about area coverage which as I mentioned earlier is not the only factor to consider when using a motion sensor as part of your security system, but it is an important factor nevertheless. Don't make the mistake of getting a sensor that has a range that is more than what you need. For example your garage will need less range that your store or living room. Measure the area to determine the range you want which will ensure you spent on exactly what you need.

As mentioned before motion sensors are great but too often mistakes are made with their application. Don't fall in this trap; seek to always get a better understanding on how to use them. Avoid these mistakes and avoid a lot of headache and frustration. Don't just rely on what the technician say but have a reasonable understanding of what he/she is doing.
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