What defines the ability of a sensor node to execute multiple tasks simultaneously?

The ability of a sensor node to execute multiple tasks simultaneously is fundamentally defined by the concept of concurrency. Concurrency refers to the capability of a system to manage multiple tasks at the same time by allowing them to progress without waiting for one to finish before starting another. This means that a sensor node can respond to different events or handle various processes transparently, improving its efficiency and responsiveness, especially in environments where multiple sensor readings or data processing tasks are required simultaneously.

While the terms parallel processing and multithreading might seem related, they refer to slightly different concepts. Parallel processing involves breaking tasks down into smaller sub-tasks that can be executed simultaneously on multiple processors, which is a specific implementation of concurrency. Multithreading involves multiple threads within a single process sharing resources, allowing for multitasking within the same application. Task scheduling, on the other hand, is about efficiently organizing and prioritizing tasks but doesn't inherently define the execution of tasks concurrently.

In summary, concurrency encapsulates the broader concept of handling multiple tasks at once, making it the most accurate choice to describe the sensor node's ability to perform simultaneous operations.