ESPAR Antenna-Based WSN Node With DoA Estimation Capability

In this paper, we present a low-cost energy-efficient electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antenna-based wireless sensor network (WSN) node designed for IEEE 802.15.4 standard that is capable of performing direction of arrival (DoA) estimation in real-life outdoor environments. To this end, we propose the WSN node architecture, design and realization that utilizes NXP JN5168 radio frequency (RF) wireless transceiver and a microcontroller integrated with ESPAR antenna beam-switching circuits. To incorporate DoA estimation capability into the developed single-board WSN node, power-pattern cross-correlation (PPCC) algorithm, that relies solely on received signal strength (RSS) values measured by the transceiver at the antenna output for every considered directional antenna radiation pattern, has been adapted and implemented in a simple microcontroller embedded within NXP JN5168 integrated circuit. Measurements conducted in an outdoor environment show that the proposed low-cost WSN node can successfully provide DoA estimation results, which may be used to enhance WSN capabilities in practical applications. The obtained root mean square (RMS) DoA estimation errors are 7.91 degrees, 6.58 degrees and 9.47 degrees for distances between WSN nodes equal to 3 m, 5 m and 10 m respectively.