A Communication Monitor for Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Software Defined Radio

Link quality estimation of reliability-crucial wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is often limited by the observability and testability of single-chip radio transceivers. The estimation is often based on collection of packer-level statistics, including packet reception rate, or vendor-specific registers, such as CC2420's Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Link Quality Indicator (LQI). The speed or accuracy of such metrics limits the performance of reliability mechanisms built in wireless sensor networks. To improve link quality estimation in WSNs, we designed a powerful wireless communication monitor based on Software Defined Radio (SDR). We studied the relations between three implemented link quality metrics and packet reception rate under different channel conditions. Based on a comparison of the metrics' relative advantages, we proposed using a combination of them for fast and accurate estimation of a sensor network link

A 6.0-mW 10.0-Gb/s Receiver With Switched-Capacitor Summation DFE

A low-power receiver with a one-tap decision feedback equalization (DFE) was fabricated in 90-nm CMOS technology. The speculative equalization is performed using switched-capacitor-based addition at the front-end sample-hold circuit. In order to further reduce the power consumption, an analog multiplexer is used in the speculation technique implementation. A quarter-rate-clocking scheme facilitates the use of low-power front-end circuitry and CMOS clock buffers. The receiver was tested over channels with different levels of ISI. The signaling rate with BER<10^-12 was significantly increased with the use of DFE for short- to medium-distance PCB traces. At 10-Gb/s data rate, the receiver consumes less than 6.0 mW from a 1.0-V supply. This includes the power consumed in all quarter-rate clock buffers, but not the power of a clock recovery loop. The input clock phase and the DFE taps are adjusted externally

Timing subsystem development: Network synchronization experiments

This paper describes a program in which several experimental timing subsystem prototypes were designed, fabricated, and field tested using a small network of troposcatter and microwave digital communication links. This equipment was responsible for modem/radio interfacing, time interval measurement, clock adjustment and distribution, synchronization technique, and node to node information exchange. Presented are discussions of the design approach, measurement plan, and performance assessment methods. Recommendations are made based on the findings of the test program and an evaluation of the design of both the hardware and software elements of the timing subsystem prototypes

Experimental analysis of computer system dependability

This paper reviews an area which has evolved over the past 15 years: experimental analysis of computer system dependability. Methodologies and advances are discussed for three basic approaches used in the area: simulated fault injection, physical fault injection, and measurement-based analysis. The three approaches are suited, respectively, to dependability evaluation in the three phases of a system's life: design phase, prototype phase, and operational phase. Before the discussion of these phases, several statistical techniques used in the area are introduced. For each phase, a classification of research methods or study topics is outlined, followed by discussion of these methods or topics as well as representative studies. The statistical techniques introduced include the estimation of parameters and confidence intervals, probability distribution characterization, and several multivariate analysis methods. Importance sampling, a statistical technique used to accelerate Monte Carlo simulation, is also introduced. The discussion of simulated fault injection covers electrical-level, logic-level, and function-level fault injection methods as well as representative simulation environments such as FOCUS and DEPEND. The discussion of physical fault injection covers hardware, software, and radiation fault injection methods as well as several software and hybrid tools including FIAT, FERARI, HYBRID, and FINE. The discussion of measurement-based analysis covers measurement and data processing techniques, basic error characterization, dependency analysis, Markov reward modeling, software-dependability, and fault diagnosis. The discussion involves several important issues studies in the area, including fault models, fast simulation techniques, workload/failure dependency, correlated failures, and software fault tolerance

Communication Subsystems for Emerging Wireless Technologies

The paper describes a multi-disciplinary design of modern communication systems. The design starts with the analysis of a system in order to define requirements on its individual components. The design exploits proper models of communication channels to adapt the systems to expected transmission conditions. Input filtering of signals both in the frequency domain and in the spatial domain is ensured by a properly designed antenna. Further signal processing (amplification and further filtering) is done by electronics circuits. Finally, signal processing techniques are applied to yield information about current properties of frequency spectrum and to distribute the transmission over free subcarrier channels