Want to Design a wireless sensor network that is controlled by a PC

Hi All,
I am new to wsn development. i am very much interested in learning how to build wireless sensor networks.
i would like to develop a very simple system which is defined below

  1. The system has a sensor unit that must be able to communicate with a Host PC
  2. The sensor unit must be attached with LED.
  3. when a hand is placed on sensor, LED shud glow

please let me know the hardware required for implementing and reference materials, pgming syntax references and manuals

Please help me out!!!

Thanks
Anandaraman

Anandaraman:
Hi All,
I am new to wsn development. i am very much interested in learning how to build wireless sensor networks.
i would like to develop a very simple system which is defined below

  1. The system has a sensor unit that must be able to communicate with a Host PC

Should be no problem, most arduinos have an USB-port to communicate with.

Anandaraman:
2. The sensor unit must be attached with LED.

Most arduinos already have a "test"-Led onboard attached to pin 13, you could use that, but with a current limiting resistor you could drive a led using any output-pin. If you would like the led to glow
at different light-levels instead of plain on/off the so called PWM-pins of arduino are interesting.

Anandaraman:
3. when a hand is placed on sensor, LED shud glow

Easiest way to do that is using an Light Depending Resistor or LDR. When dark it has its highest resistance and the more light shines on it, the lower its resistance is. Used with another "fixed"resistor one can create a voltage divider. Measured by one of the analog inputpins of the arduino these two will tell you how much light is shining on the LDR.

In it's simplest form you would require an Arduino, an LDR and a fixed resistor.
Driving a Led can be done several ways, the Blink, blink without delay or Fade-example will show you how.

Unfortunately I couldn't find an example of working with LDR on Arduinos-site fast, but Ladyada has
a page with good info.
http://www.ladyada.net/learn/sensors/cds.html

Hi ,
Thank you so much for your reply.

  1. i need to expand this system by having 10 to 12 sensor units that must be controlled by host PC. all means of communication must be 'wireless'

  2. each oof the 12 sensor unit must blink when a hand is placed on it

  3. please list me the components in detail as i am new to the development

  4. U simply said Arduino. i need to know wat it includes say board, transreciever. which board to use. can i buy lilypad ?

please explain in detail

Thanks
Anandaraman

Hi,

My project will be similar to "The pool " by jen lewin. but in "the pool " device, all nodes are independent and there is no master. i need to have a master that controls all the nodes.

all the nodes shud have LED's and it shud blink wen foot placed on it. (blink or may change colour)

pls let me know thhe h/w components required

I am entirely new to this Arduino ddevelopment. pls help

I would go with Jeenodes, they have pretty nice radios built into them.
They're rather over powered for your uses really, but they will certainly work.

@above: pls explain in detail. i am new to this development

http://shop.moderndevice.com/products/jeenode-kit
Those're the JeeNodes, Arduino chip with an onboard radio.

Add a light sensor and an LED to each jeenode and stuff it in a box, then you're just down to programming.

What you really need to do is to get a couple jeenodes (or whatever arduinoy radio you want to use) and play with them. The basic idea that you're talking about (as far as I can tell) is pretty simple.

@above : Thanks

can i get jeeNode in singapore ? i am not aware what band singapore is using.