NesC@PAT >> Documentation >> User Manual >> Drawing a Sensor Network

This page shows how to creat a sensor network model for simulation and verification in PAT.

There are a few steps:
(A). Creat a new sensor network model;
(B). Add sensor nodes and links between them;
(C). Edit sensor information: assign application for running on them;
(D). Edit verification goals;
(E). Simulation;
(F). Verification.

(A) Creat a new sensor network model

From the main menu, click "File -> New -> NESC Model".

PAT will creat a sensor network model automatically, which has one sensor and the sensor is named Sensor1.

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(B) Add sensor nodes and links between them

A new sensor will be created by first clicking the green button on the Network editing panel and then click the white panel to place the new sensor.

When a new sensor is created, it is automatically added to the list on the Sensors list on the left of the network editing panel.

Similar, clicking the arrow button and then clicking two sensors sequentially will create a logical link between two sensors. In PAT, a network topology is considered as a directed graph.

E.G., adding a data link between sensor1 and sensor2.

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(C) Edit sensor information

One can view the details of the sensor by double click it. As shown in the following figure, when a new sensor is created, it is assigned with "app" application by default. Note that this app program does not really exist, so the next step is to edit the sensor information.

The table bellow explains each entry in the sensor editing form:

 Entry Meaning Nullable Remark 
 Name Name of the sensor No  Each sensor should have a unique name, for accessing its local status.
TOS_NODE_ID The unique ID of the sensor No Each sensor should have a unique ID, similar what is required in TinyOS.
 Application The NesC program running on the sensor No The model (.sn file) should be saved in the same path where there are the source .nc files of the appointed NesC program.
 Sensor's Range The data range of each sensor device Yes  If null, PAT will use the default data range ([0, 1]) for sensor devices.
 Buffer Size The size of the buffer for storing incoming msg's Yes  If null, PAT will use the default size (1) for each sensor.


Another way to edit a sensor is to right click it from the Sensors list, which will also open the sensor editing form.

The top-level configuration of the NesC program assigned to a certain sensor can be viewed in PAT editor, by double clicking the sensor from the Sensors list on the left panel.

E.G., the following shows the code of Sensor1. Sensor1 is configured to run a NesC program with BlinkAppC being the top-level configuration/component.

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(D) Edit verification goals

Double click Assertion item to switch to the assertion editor.

In the assertion editor, one can edit any number of assertions for verification. The syntax for writing assertions can be found in Defining verfication goals (assertions).

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(E) Simulation

Clicking the Simulation button or pressing F6 will open the Simulation form.

(F) Verification

Clicking the Verification button or pressing F7 will open the Verification form.