Sensor network philosophy

Don’t innovate the basics

We have established solutions for many problems, these solutions come with existing experience and communities. We should not innovate for the sake of innovation.

Commodity hardware

Bespoke hardware is expensive and difficult to maintain. Commodity Linux hardware such as Raspberry Pi is cheap, can be supported by existing IT teams, and has a large community of users. There is a clear replacement and upgrade path.

Existing software solutions

Automate maintenence

• Raspberry Pi - some software solutions that facilitate installation and maintenence of a sensor network.

Build for the future

Over-capacity

Installing an underground wired network is a once-only opportunity. We should install more capacity than we need now, so that we can expand the network in the future. This includes over-specifying the digital network capacity, and preparing the grounds for the installation of more sensors.

Easy to maintain

The easier the system is to maintain, the more people who can maintain it. This means that the system will be more resilient to changes in personnel. Integrate with existing systems and procedures.

Expandable

The initial physical build must allow for easy expansion. Sensors may need to be put anywhere in the gardens. Design to allow wired connections anywhere without crossing paths. This implies the initial build will have more ducting than initially required.