Zigbee sensor network for museum security - Final Year Project

You will need to provide some additional information in order to provide a more refined response to your inquiry.  However, there are some things that can get you started in terms of scoping out the projects, especially as it relates to cost.

Firstly, the development environment for most CCxxxx platforms, or MSP430+CCxxxx platforms is IAR Systems.  There are free evaluation versions with a time limit, or Kickstart versions that limit the code size of the program.  This is obviously the cheapest way to go with the least amount of porting work, but limits the overal options you have, especially when working with ZigBee.  If other networks were options for you, such as SimpliciTI, then the hardware platform options open up as the network stack program size is reduced.

For a quick start on ZigBee, I would suggest a CC2480 based platform.  This is a device that has the ZigBee stack running on the device itself and provides a serial interface to another processor which can then implement your specific functionality.  Such an evaluation platform is the eZ430-RF2480, which uses a MSP430F2274 and CC2480.  This kit comes with 3 target boards, the USB emulation dongle and 2 battery packs for $99.  I don't know how many node devices you need to fully demonstrate your museum, but if you need additional nodes, I would suggest additional eZ430-RF2480 kits.

eZ430-RF2480 Demonstration Kit
http://focus.ti.com/docs/toolsw/folders/print/ez430-rf2480.html

CC2480 Product Folder
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/cc2480a1.html

MSP430F2274 Product Folder
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/msp430f2274.html

For you motion sensor, is this something that you are implementing on the node via some external device?  If yes, the MSP430F2274 can support a SPI type interface to this external functionality.  There are also some test points on the target board for the eZ430-RF2480 that can be used to wire in sensors.

This demonstration kit also provides a Virtual COM Port functionality when using the eZ430-RF2480 so a PC program could be implemented to work with whatever information is supplied by your coordinator node (ie. the kit still connected to your PC which models a museum).

Hi Stoui,

Museum Security, it looks like your are interested  in an indoor navigation system. You should probably eloborate a little bit more about your project and proposal.

You want to ensure that no value items are stolen with you WSN -Wireless Sensor Network

LPRF Rocks the World

First of all i would like to thank you for you help i appreciate very much! I have some extra information about my project...  I want a wireless sensor that it will send a signal to a receiver when the painting is being moved and my demonstrated program(flash,java) will inform me which painting is moved. Can i "connect" a wireless sensor directly to a usb receiver and that relate it to a my program? is that possible or i need to buy extra platforms to get the signal from the sensor and then pass it to my pc? If i can use other WIRLESS sensors than zigbee i believe is fine! As my professor said i just need one or two sensors for the demonstration and if i find a good price for more of them it would be ok!  

The platforms that I mentioned before will facilitate the high level requirements of your application to allow connection to a PC over USB.  The eZ430-RF2480 has a USB dongle with a platform that can be used as the Access Point (AP) to act as the Wireless network coordinator.  This USB dongle supports a COM Port driver on your PC such that you can interact with the AP via a serial port (ie. emulated over the USB interface).

It sounds like the eZ430-RF2480 provides the minimum your project needs, ie. 2 end points for your pictures in the virtual museum and 1 as the coordinator connected to your PC.

What will your wireless sensor use as a motion sensor?  This motion sensor will need to interface to the MSP430 on the radio module of the kit.