IEEE 802.15.4 Technologies for Smart Grids

Abstract

In recent years, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have received growing attention owing to their remarkable advantages, and they are widely being utilized in various metering and monitoring application areas such as Internet of things (IoT), smart grids, smart cities, smart homes, cloud computing, healthcare monitoring, military investigation, environmental surveillance systems. The most widely utilized standard in the WSN applications is IEEE 802.15.4 that is developed to enable short-range applications with low data rates and low power consumption features. This chapter aims to provide comprehensive information concerning of the WSNs, general specifications of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, recently developed new technologies based on this standard, and several practical WSN applications performed for smart grid concept. This chapter firstly introduces the fundamentals, application areas, and advantages of the WSNs in a detail. Later, the chapter continues by explaining technical backgrounds of the WSNs where IEEE 802.15.4 standard is examined in terms of layer stacks. The physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) layers of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard are comprehensively analyzed since these layers are the basis of new technologies such as ZigBee, WirelessHART, ISA100.11a, 6LoWPAN, and 6TiSCH. Afterward, these novel technologies are introduced and analyzed by considering open systems interconnection (OSI) reference model. Finally, practical examples of the WSNs regarding metering and monitoring applications of smart grids are presented at the end of this chapter.