Estudio, diseño e implementación de la capa física para comunicaciones remotas utilizando tecnología NVIS

En els últims anys, les xarxes de comunicacions IoT han millorat significativament, tant respecte a la cobertura com a l'eficiència i el rendiment. Encara que aquestes millores són molt rellevants, no cobreixen la totalitat del territori mundial. Zones molt aïllades del món, com els pols o zones muntanyenques de difícil accés, no disposen d'aquesta mena de cobertura de dades, ja que les característiques del terreny limiten l'accés dels dispositius IoT en aquests entorns. Actualment, les solucions existents se centren en les comunicacions per satèl·lit que, si bé permeten la comunicació en aquests escenaris, tenen un cost econòmic molt elevat. D'altra banda, una possible solució seria l'ús de comunicacions HF. Gràcies a aquesta mena de comunicació es poden aconseguir velocitats de fins a 100 kbps, segons els estàndards i recerques prèvies. Una de les aplicacions de les comunicacions HF és la comunicació a través de la ionosfera. Aquest tipus d'enllaços proporcionen unes característiques ideals per a les comunicacions a llarga distància. En els últims quatre anys, el grup de recerca en tecnologies d'Internet (GRITS) de l'Escola d'Enginyeria de La Salle (Universitat Ramon Llull), s'ha centrat en les comunicacions ionosfèriques i, especialment, en la tecnologia NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave). En particular, ha posat el seu focus en les comunicacions amb la Base Antàrtica Joan Carles I. Aquest tipus de comunicació HF ofereix unes característiques ideals per a les comunicacions remotes de llarg abast, amb un radi de fins a 350 km i sense necessitat de visió directa entre els diferents transceptors. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és definir el millor escenari de comunicacions amb tecnologia NVIS per a una xarxa de cobertura IoT en entorns remots. Una de les principals metes és la disminució del consum en potència dels dispositius remots. Això proporcionarà una comunicació de llarg abast i maximitzarà el temps de vida de la bateria per a aquesta mena de dispositius, un factor primordial per a comunicacions IoT. A més, la solució proposada intenta mitigar el sobrecost econòmic que implicaria l'ús dels satèl·lits com a mitjà de comunicació, adaptant el desenvolupament de la tecnologia a dispositius de baix cost. Com a factor principal de millora, aquesta tesi se centra en la definició d'una capa física adaptada a l'entorn de comunicació NVIS. Per a optimitzar aquest enllaç, s'estudien les principals característiques d'un entorn wireless multicamí, el Doppler Shift, Doppler i Delay Spread, la qual cosa permet definir els temps de trama més adaptats a aquest canal. D'altra banda, es comparen les característiques de les modulacions QAM, PSK i FSK (d'ordre 2 a 32) en transmissions de molt baixa potència (de 0,5 W a 25 W) i en un entorn multicamí. Aquesta anàlisi permetrà definir la millor trama de comunicació, establint la capa física per a comunicacions NVIS en entorns remots. Finalment, i per a demostrar la viabilitat de la tecnologia desenvolupada en un entorn civil, es defineix i implementa un procés de transferència de coneixements del món acadèmic al món empresarial. S'estudien els diferents mercats on es podrien integrar aquest tipus de comunicacions, i es defineix una proposta de valor per al mercat de les comunicacions remotes, tot això amb la finalitat d'arribar a una conclusió tant de viabilitat econòmica com de necessitat de la tecnologia per a un escenari d'ús civil.En los últimos años, las redes de comunicaciones IoT han mejorado significativamente, tanto con respecto a la cobertura como a la eficiencia y el rendimiento. Aunque estas mejoras son muy relevantes, no cubren la totalidad del territorio mundial. Zonas muy aisladas del mundo, como los polos o zonas montañosas de difícil acceso, no disponen de este tipo de cobertura de datos, ya que las características del terreno limitan el acceso de los dispositivos IoT en estos entornos. Actualmente, las soluciones existentes se centran en las comunicaciones por satélite que, si bien permiten la comunicación en estos escenarios, tienen un coste económico muy elevado. Por otra parte, una posible solución sería el uso de comunicaciones HF. Gracias a este tipo de comunicación se pueden alcanzar velocidades de hasta 100 kbps, según los estándares e investigaciones previas. Una de las aplicaciones de las comunicaciones HF es la comunicación a través de la ionosfera. Este tipo de enlaces proporcionan unas características ideales para las comunicaciones a larga distancia. En los últimos cuatro años, el grupo de investigación en tecnologías de Internet (GRITS) de la Escuela de Ingeniería de La Salle (Universidad Ramon Llull), se ha centrado en las comunicaciones ionosféricas y, especialmente, en la tecnología NVIS (Near vertical incidence skywave). En particular, ha puesto su foco en las comunicaciones con la Base Antártica Juan Carlos I. Este tipo de comunicación HF ofrece unas características ideales para las comunicaciones remotas de largo alcance, con un radio de hasta 350 km y sin necesidad de visión directa entre los diferentes transceptores. El objetivo de esta tesis es definir el mejor escenario de comunicaciones con tecnología NVIS para una red de cobertura IoT en entornos remotos. Una de las principales metas es la disminución del consumo en potencia de los dispositivos remotos. Esto proporcionará una comunicación de largo alcance y maximizará el tiempo de vida de la batería para este tipo de dispositivos, un factor primordial para comunicaciones IoT. Además, la solución propuesta intenta mitigar el sobrecoste económico que implicaría el uso de los satélites como medio de comunicación, adaptando el desarrollo de la tecnología a dispositivos de bajo coste. Como factor principal de mejora, esta tesis se centra en la definición de una capa física adaptada al entorno de comunicación NVIS. Para optimizar este enlace, se estudian las principales características de un entorno wireless multitrayecto, el Doppler Shift, Doppler y Delay Spread, lo cual permite definir los tiempos de trama más adaptados a este canal. Por otra parte, se comparan las características de las modulaciones QAM, PSK y FSK (de orden 2 a 32) en transmisiones de muy baja potencia (de 0,5 W a 25 W) y en un entorno multitrayecto. Este análisis permitirá definir la mejor trama de comunicación, estableciendo la capa física para comunicaciones NVIS en entornos remotos. Finalmente, y para demostrar la viabilidad de la tecnología desarrollada en un entorno industrial, se define e implementa un proceso de transferencia de conocimientos del mundo académico al mundo empresarial. Se estudian los diferentes mercados donde se podrían integrar este tipo de comunicaciones, y se define una propuesta de valor para el mercado de las comunicaciones remotas, todo ello con el fin de llegar a una conclusión tanto de viabilidad económica como de necesidad de la tecnología para un escenario de uso civil.In the last years, IoT communications networks have improved significantly, both in terms of coverage and in terms of efficiency and performance. Although these improvements are very relevant, they do not cover the entire world territory. Very isolated areas of the world, such as the poles or mountainous areas that are difficult to access, do not have this type of data coverage, as the terrain characteristics limit the access of IoT devices in these environments. Currently, existing solutions are focused on satellite communications that, although they allow communication in these scenarios, have a very high economic cost. On the other hand, a possible solution would be the use of HF communications. Thanks to this type of communication, speeds of up to 100 kbps can be achieved, according to standards and previous research. One of the applications of HF communications is communication through the ionosphere. This type of link provides ideal characteristics for long distance communications. In the last four years, the research group on Internet technologies (GRITS) at the La Salle School of Engineering (Ramon Llull University), has focused on ionospheric communications and, especially, on NVIS technology (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave). In particular, it has focused on communications with the Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base. This type of HF communication offers ideal characteristics for long-range remote communications, with a radius of up to 350 km and without the need for direct vision between the different transceivers. The purpose of this thesis is to define the best NVIS technology communications scenario for an IoT coverage network in remote environments. One of the main goals is to decrease the power consumption of remote devices. This will provide long range communication and maximize battery life for these types of devices, a major factor for IoT communications. In addition, the proposed solution attempts to mitigate the economic over-cost that would be involved in using satellites as a means of communication, by adapting the development of the technology to low-cost devices. As a main improvement factor, this thesis focuses on the definition of a physical layer adapted to the NVIS communication environment. In order to optimize this link, the main characteristics of a multipath wireless environment, the Doppler Shift, Doppler and Delay Spread, are studied, allowing the definition of the most adapted frame times for this channel. Furthermore, the characteristics of QAM, PSK and FSK modulations (from order 2 to 32) in very low power transmissions (from 0.5 W to 25 W) and in a multipath environment are compared. This analysis will allow to define the best communication frame, establishing the physical layer for NVIS communications in remote environments. Finally, and in order to demonstrate the viability of the technology developed in an industrial environment, a process of knowledge transfer from the academic world to the business world is defined and implemented. The different markets where this type of communications could be integrated are studied, and a value proposal for the remote communications market is defined, all with the aim of reaching a conclusion on both the economic viability and the need for the technology for a non-military use scenario

Advanced HF Communications for Remote Sensors in Antarctica

The Antarctica is a continent mainly devoted to science with a big amount of sensors located in remote places for biological and geophysical purposes. The data from these sensors need to be sent either to the Antarctic stations or directly to the home country. For the last 15 years, La Salle has been working in the application of HF communications (3–30 MHz) with ionospheric reflection for data collection of remote sensors in Antarctica. We have developed and tested the several types of modulations, the frame structure, the radio-modem, and the antennas for two different scenarios. First, a long-range transequatorial (approximately 12,800 km) and low-power communication system is used as an alternative to satellites, which are often not visible from the poles. This distance is covered with a minimum of four hops with oblique incidence in the ionosphere. Second, a low-power system using near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) communications provides coverage in a surface of approximately 200–250 km radius, a coverage much longer than any other systems operating in either the VHF or UHF band without the need of line of sight

Stakeholders' views on the global guidelines for the sustainable use of non‐native trees

A large number of non‐native trees (NNTs) have been introduced globally and widely planted, contributing significantly to the world's economy. Although some of these species present a limited risk of spreading beyond their planting sites, a growing number of NNTs are spreading and becoming invasive leading to diverse negative impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and human well‐being. To help minimize the negative impacts and maximize the economic benefits of NNTs, Brundu et al. developed eight guidelines for the sustainable use of NNTs globally—the Global Guidelines for the Use of NNTs (GG‐NNTs). Here, we used an online survey to assess perceptions of key stakeholders towards NNTs, and explore their knowledge of and compliance with the GG‐NNTs. Our results show that stakeholders are generally aware that NNTs can provide benefits and cause negative impacts, often simultaneously and they consider that their organization complies with existing regulations and voluntary agreements concerning NNTs. However, they are not aware of or do not apply most of the eight recommendations included in the GG‐NNTs. We conclude that effectively managing invasions linked to NNTs requires both more communication efforts using an array of channels for improving stakeholder awareness and implementation of simple measures to reduce NNT impacts (e.g. via GG‐NNTs), and a deeper understanding of the barriers and reluctance of stakeholders to manage NNT invasions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog

Sensing System for Remote Areas in Antarctica

Every year, the number of Internet of Things devices is growing exponentially. The current Internet of Things technology to support the connectivity of such a huge number of devices is limited by the coverage of the base stations deployed. In case of remote areas without coverage of any operator, the use of a satellite connection is such a high‐cost option. The only alternative option for very remote sensor is high frequency (HF) communications with ionospheric reflection. The HF band (3–30 MHz) with Near Vertical Incidence Skywave allows a large coverage area (up to 250 km) without the need of line of sight. The HF radio links usually need higher power transmissions with larger antennas supported by a mast. In this paper, we explore a new transmission scheme for low‐power transmissions, which is equivalent to use small and low gain HF antennas. We study the performance of several digital modulations using different bandwidths and transmission power. The field tests have been done around the Spanish Antarctic Base at Livingston Island to ensure the availability of the system even in polar areas where the behavior of the ionosphere is quite different from lower latitudes. However, the proposed physical layer fits well with any other remote location that requires low power data communication

Study of NVIS Channel for USN Protocol Definition in Antarctica

Every year, the number of ubiquitous sensor networks (USN) is increasing and the need for remote USN communications is emerging in some scenarios. As an alternative to satellite communications, more interests are focused on high frequencies (HF) communications as a low-cost option to reach links of more than 250 km without a line of sight. The HF standards are designed for generic communication channels being not robust for near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) USN. In this article, we propose a new protocol for USN in remote places based on NVIS communications. For that purpose, we study the main characteristics of the NVIS channel with the presence of groundwaves, particularly in Antarctica. We analyze the availability of the channel, the height of the layers, the delay spread, and the Doppler spread. On the basis of the results obtained, we propose two protocols based on an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) modulation depending on the presence of the groundwave at the receiver. Finally, we make a simulation of the two OFDM configurations and we compare it with real tested standard modulations. The results show a better performance of the new protocol compared to the current HF standards

Heterogeneous wireless IoT architecture for natural disaster monitorization

A heterogeneous sensor network offers an extremely effective means of communicating with the international community, first responders, and humanitarian assistance agencies as long as affected populations have access to the Internet during disasters. When communication networks fail in an emergency situation, a challenge emerges when emergency services try to communicate with each other. In such situations, field data can be collected from nearby sensors deploying a wireless sensor network and a delay-tolerant network over the region to monitor. When data has to be sent to the operations center without any telecommunication infrastructure available, HF, satellite, and high-altitude platforms are the unique options, being HF with Near Vertical Incidence Skywave the most cost-effective and easy-to-install solution. Sensed data in disaster situations could serve a wide range of interests and needs (scientific, technical, and operational information for decision-makers). The proposed monitorization architecture addresses the communication with the public during emergencies using movable and deployable resource unit technologies for sensing, exchanging, and distributing information for humanitarian organizations. The challenge is to show how sensed data and information management contribute to a more effective and timely response to improve the quality of life of the affected populations. Our proposal was tested under real emergency conditions in Europe and Antarctica

NVIS Multicarrier Modulations for Remote-Sensor Applications

The number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has experienced a large growth during the last decade, as well as the data volume gathered from remote sensors. Satellites are still a suitable communication method and may be preferable for a remote ubiquitous sensor network (USN), which sometimes are located in places without much communications infrastructure where coverage is the principal drawback. Alternatively, the proposed solution for this article aims at a near-vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) channel for high frequencies (HF) with a low-cost platform, allowing a low-power transmissions coverage area up to 250 km for USN. The HF standards are focused on generic communication channels not being robust for NVIS communications. In this article we study and test an alternative based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulations to make them more robust and less dependent on the channel NVIS communications. For that purpose, we test the HF standard modulations and a designed OFDM modulation to prove the robustness of each. This study has been tested between Barcelona and Tarragona, using different transmission power levels and modulation orders

Global guidelines for the sustainable use of non-native trees to prevent tree invasions and mitigate their negative impacts

Sustainably managed non-native trees deliver economic and societal benefits with limited risk of spread to adjoining areas. However, some plantations have launched invasions that cause substantial damage to biodiversity and ecosystem services, while others pose substantial threats of causing such impacts. The challenge is to maximise the benefits of non-native trees, while minimising negative impacts and preserving future benefits and options. A workshop was held in 2019 to develop global guidelines for the sustainable use of non-native trees, using the Council of Europe % Bern Convention Code of Conduct on Invasive Alien Trees as a starting point. The global guidelines consist of eight recommendations: 1) Use native trees, or non-invasive non-native trees, in preference to invasive non-native trees2) Be aware of and comply with international, national, and regional regulations concerning non-native trees3) Be aware of the risk of invasion and consider global change trends4) Design and adopt tailored practices for plantation site selection and silvicultural management5) Promote and implement early detection and rapid response programmes6) Design and adopt tailored practices for invasive non-native tree control, habitat restoration, and for dealing with highly modified ecosystems7) Engage with stakeholders on the risks posed by invasive non-native trees, the impacts caused, and the options for managementand 8) Develop and support global networks, collaborative research, and information sharing on native and non-native trees. The global guidelines are a first step towards building global consensus on the precautions that should be taken when introducing and planting non-native trees. They are voluntary and are intended to complement statutory requirements under international and national legislation. The application of the global guidelines and the achievement of their goals will help to conserve forest biodiversity, ensure sustainable forestry, and contribute to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations linked with forest biodiversity