Sensor Data Acquisition
back to EnviroSensing Cluster main page
[[File:|thumbnail|400px|right|Fig. 1 tba. Photo Renee F. Brown 2xxx, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge]]
Overview
Traditionally, environmental sensor data from remote field sites were manually acquired during infrequent site visits. However, with today's technology, these data can now be acquired in real-time. Indeed, there are several methods of automating data acquisition and transmission, but there is insufficient knowledge among the environmental sensor community about their availability and functionality. Moreover, there are several factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing a remote data acquisition method, including (a) how immediately the data are needed, (b) bandwidth, (c) hardware and network protocols, (d) line-of-sight, (e) power consumption, and (f) security. Here, we provide an overview of these methods and recommend best practices for their implementation.