How to Implement Virtual sensor network in OMNeT++

To implement a Virtual Sensor Network (VSN) in OMNeT++ has needs to generate a network where sensors are come together into virtual clusters based on conditions like task requirements, geographic location, or network conditions. VSNs are used to effectively handle the resources, minimize the energy consumption, and enhance the data aggregation in large-scale sensor networks. The below are the complete procedures on how to execute the virtual sensor network in OMNeT++:

Steps to Implement a Virtual Sensor Network in OMNeT++

Install OMNeT++ and INET Framework:
- Make sure that OMNeT++ and the INET framework are installed. INET delivers the necessary components for emulating wireless networks that contains sensor nodes and wireless communication protocols.
Define the Network Topology:
- Generate a network topology using a .ned file that contains sensor nodes and possibly a base station or sink node where information is collected. The nodes will be organized into virtual clusters.
Implement the Virtual Sensor Network Mechanism:
- Develop a mechanism to form virtual sensor networks (clusters) based on criteria like proximity, task requirements, or data correlation. This can contain the technique for cluster formation, leader selection, and data aggregation.
Simulate Various Scenarios:
- Setup the scenarios where sensors need to be grouped into virtual clusters to accomplish the particular tasks, like environmental monitoring or target tracking. The VSN mechanism should enhance resource usage and data communication within each cluster.
Configure the Simulation Environment:
- Use the .ini file to setup the parameters like node density, communication range, clustering algorithms, and data generation rates.
Run the Simulation and Analyze Results:
- Implement the simulation and evaluate the performance of the VSN mechanism. Key metrics has energy consumption, network lifetime, data accuracy, and communication overhead.

Example: Implementing a Basic Virtual Sensor Network in OMNeT++

Define the Network Topology in a .ned File

// VirtualSensorNetwork.ned

package networkstructure;

import inet.node.inet.WirelessHost;

network VirtualSensorNetwork

{

parameters:

int numSensors = default(10); // Number of sensor nodes

int numClusters = default(2); // Number of virtual clusters

submodules:

sensorNode[numSensors]: WirelessHost {

@display(“p=100,100”);

numApps = 1;

app[0].typename = “SensorNodeApp”;

}

sinkNode: WirelessHost {

@display(“p=200,200”);

numApps = 1;

app[0].typename = “SinkNodeApp”;

}

connections:

sensorNode[*].wlan[0] <–> WirelessChannel <–> sinkNode.wlan[0];

}

Implement the Virtual Sensor Network Mechanism

Generate C++ classes for the sensor nodes that manages virtual clustering and a corresponding class for the sink node that aggregates data.

Sensor Node Application

#include <omnetpp.h>

#include <inet/applications/base/ApplicationBase.h>

#include <vector>

using namespace omnetpp;

using namespace inet;

class SensorNodeApp : public ApplicationBase

{

protected:

int clusterId;

int numClusters;

int nodeId;

cModule *sinkNode;

virtual void initialize(int stage) override;

virtual void handleMessageWhenUp(cMessage *msg) override;

void formCluster();

public:

virtual int numInitStages() const override { return NUM_INIT_STAGES; }

};

Define_Module(SensorNodeApp);

void SensorNodeApp::initialize(int stage)

{

ApplicationBase::initialize(stage);

if (stage == INITSTAGE_APPLICATION_LAYER) {

numClusters = par(“numClusters”).intValue();

nodeId = getParentModule()->getIndex();

sinkNode = getParentModule()->getParentModule()->getSubmodule(“sinkNode”);

// Form cluster based on node ID

formCluster();

// Schedule initial data generation

scheduleAt(simTime() + uniform(1, 2), new cMessage(“generateData”));

}

void SensorNodeApp::handleMessageWhenUp(cMessage *msg)

{

if (strcmp(msg->getName(), “generateData”) == 0) {

cPacket *dataPacket = new cPacket(“DataPacket”);

dataPacket->addPar(“clusterId”) = clusterId;

dataPacket->addPar(“nodeId”) = nodeId;

dataPacket->setByteLength(128); // Example data packet size

// Send data to the sink node

sendDirect(dataPacket, sinkNode, “wlan$o”);

// Re-schedule data generation

scheduleAt(simTime() + uniform(5, 10), msg);

} else {

delete msg;

}

void SensorNodeApp::formCluster()

{

// Example: Assign cluster ID based on node ID (simple modulo operation)

clusterId = nodeId % numClusters;

EV << “Sensor node ” << nodeId << ” assigned to cluster ” << clusterId << endl;

}

Sink Node Application

class SinkNodeApp : public ApplicationBase

{

protected:

virtual void initialize(int stage) override;

virtual void handleMessageWhenUp(cMessage *msg) override;

void aggregateData(cPacket *pkt);

public:

virtual int numInitStages() const override { return NUM_INIT_STAGES; }

};

Define_Module(SinkNodeApp);

void SinkNodeApp::initialize(int stage)

{

ApplicationBase::initialize(stage);

}

void SinkNodeApp::handleMessageWhenUp(cMessage *msg)

{

if (cPacket *pkt = dynamic_cast<cPacket *>(msg)) {

aggregateData(pkt);

delete pkt;

} else {

delete msg;

}

void SinkNodeApp::aggregateData(cPacket *pkt)

{

int clusterId = pkt->par(“clusterId”).intValue();

int nodeId = pkt->par(“nodeId”).intValue();

EV << “Data received from cluster ” << clusterId << “, node ” << nodeId << endl;

// Example: Aggregate data (in this simple example, just log it)

}

Configure the Simulation in the .ini File

network = networkstructure.VirtualSensorNetwork

sim-time-limit = 300s

# Sensor node settings

*.sensorNode[*].app[0].numClusters = 2; # Number of clusters in the network

*.sensorNode[*].app[0].dataGenerationInterval = uniform(5s, 10s); # Interval for generating data

# Sink node settings

*.sinkNode.app[0].dataAggregationInterval = 1s; # Interval for aggregating data from sensors

Explanation of the Example

Network Topology (VirtualSensorNetwork.ned):
- The network involves of multiple sensor nodes and a sink node. The sensor nodes are collected into virtual clusters based on their node ID, and each cluster sends its information to the sink node.
Virtual Sensor Network Mechanism (SensorNodeApp.cc, SinkNodeApp.cc):
- The SensorNodeApp assigns each sensor node to a cluster and manage the data generation. The SinkNodeApp receives and aggregates data from all clusters.
Simulation Configuration (omnetpp.ini):
- The .ini file configures the number of clusters, data generation intervals, and other parameters, allowing the simulation of a virtual sensor network.

Running the Simulation

Compile project in OMNeT++ IDE and execute the simulation.
Use OMNeT++’s tools to evaluate how information is generated and aggregated within the virtual sensor network. Focus on parameters such as energy consumption, network lifetime, data accuracy, and communication overhead.

Extending the Example

Dynamic Clustering: Execute dynamic clustering where sensor nodes can change their cluster membership based on network conditions, task requirements, or mobility.
Cluster Head Selection: Establish a mechanism for choosing cluster heads that aggregate data within each cluster before forwarding it to the sink node.
Energy-Efficient Communication: Execute energy-efficient communication protocols that reduce the power consumption of sensor nodes, extending the network’s operational lifetime.
Data Aggregation Techniques: implement numerous data aggregation techniques at the sink node, like averaging, data compression, or filtering, to minimize communication overhead and enhance data quality.
Mobility: Establish mobility for the sensor nodes or the sink node to study how the virtual sensor network adjusts to changing network topologies.
Multi-Hop Communication: expand the implementation to support multi-hop communication, where sensor nodes relay data via other nodes to reach the sink.

In this page we completely learn about how the virtual sensor network performs and analyses the outcomes in the large scale environment using the OMNeT++ tool. We will describe how the virtual sensor network is carried out in alternative simulation scenarios