Distributed multi-agent architecture for real-time wireless control networks of multiple plants

Abstract

This paper describes an interesting model architecture based on the tree topology, as well as its analysisthrough an associated validation method for control networks designed for low-rate wireless sensor andactuator networks (WSAN), consisting of multiple control loops closed over a wireless communicationnetwork, taking advantage of theflexible communications features of IEEE 802.15.4 protocol. The mainproblem to be addressed is the control of multiple or parallel plants, which should have an intelligent andflexible architecture based on multi-agent systems (MAS), that allows to add or remove new plants or nodesonline, without the need of reconfiguring the system, while maintaining temporal and functional restrictionsin the system. Important issues to consider in the research are tackled herein like topology, optimal staticrouting, end-to-end test analysis of the real-timeflows on the WSAN, real-time kernel with Earliest DeadlineFirst (EDF) scheduler, periodic and aperiodictasking models for the nodes, lightweight andflexible com-pensation-based control algorithms for WSAN that exhibit packet dropouts, and an event-triggered samplingscheme. Additionally, as example of an application in a simulation environment is presented, in which isintended to guarantee an optimal parallel fed-batch bioreactor operations model controlled over a WSAN,using a master–slave synchronization system as control strategy, obtaining an accurate end-to-end com-munication analysis of the proposed plant with Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks