WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK – NEW OPPORTUNETES FOR SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING
Currently, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are an actively developing area of scientific research. WSN can be used to monitor a variety of conditions, such as soil properties for agricultural applications. In particular, various underground sensors are used to monitor soil moisture. Existing underground sensing technology consists of buried sensors connected to the data logger for recording the sensor readings for subsequent information retrieval. The article introduces the concept of wireless underground sensor networks (WUSN), where the most of the sensor devices, including the means of transmitting and receiving signals, are deployed completely belowground. A prototype of the WUSN sensor node is presented, including a borehole moisture meter for real-time monitoring of soil moisture in an agricultural field. Communication between sensor nodes is carried out using the ZigBee protocol.