X-band mini weather radar network and other wireless sensor networks for environmental monitoring

The main section of the present Ph. D. thesis is related to X-band radars. Since 2005 the Remote Sensing Group of Department of Electronics and Telecommunications of Politecnico di Torino developed an X-band mini weather radar as a standalone sensor to measure rain. Some early results have been presented until 2011 showing the proper functioning and it has been decided to realize an experimental and operative integrated network of X-band radar devoted to rain measurement. The network structure deployed during the Ph. D. period is presented, together with the analysis, the study and the realizations of some operative services, calibration procedures (including Quantitative Precipitation Estimation, QPE) and software and applications developed for the institutions which support the network realizations. The design of an innovative and low cost method to check the radar stability and proper functioning is presented: by simply acquiring a large number of ground clutter echoes during clear sky days and computing some analysis, it is shown it is possible to identify some statistical indicators that allow users and radar operators to know if the radar equipments suffered some degradations of failure. The second part of the thesis is dedicated to Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). After a study on WSN technologies for environmental monitoring, a first developed prototypal DGPS network is presented. Using the same multipurpose node designed for such network (or its updated releases with very small differences) and varying only their firmware, other two prototypal and fully operative WSNs are described. The designed choices are described for what concern both hardware and software.