Comparison of Petri Net and Finite State Machine discrete event control of distributed surveillance networks

Wireless sensor networks are an important military technology with civil and scientific applications. In this article, we derive a discrete event controller system for distributed surveillance networks that consists of three interacting hierarchies-sensing, communications, and command. Petri Net representations of the hierarchies provide plant models of resource contention and internal consistency. Control specifications are derived that enforce consistency across the hierarchies. Three controllers are created using different methodologies to satisfy these specifications. The methods used are Petri Net, finite state automata using the Ramadge and Wonham approach, and vector addition control using the Wonham and Li approach. We use the controllers derived to contrast the design methodologies. Our results find these three approaches to be roughly equivalent. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.