Design and Realization of a Prototype Hardware Platform for ...

The MegaWatch Wireless PlatformMaster's Thesis - Emanuel Corthay4 Project GoalsFuture Industrial Partners: CSEM, STI, Swatch- Technical Know-how- RF front-end- Market knowledge- Manufacturing and Packaging for large quantities- Costs optimization- MarketingA pole of competency has been formally created under the name CSDA, Center for AdvancedDigital Systems. It incorporates most of the laboratories mentioned above, and some industrialpartners that are important for a lot of research and development projects involving hardware.That is because the gap between the academic and commercial perspective is important, and it isof great importance to work together to produce viable solutions to face tomorrow’s challenges.Network architecture:The envisioned MegaWatch network platform is a multi-tiered wireless network, composed of threelayers. In the campus environment, it can be described as follows:Layer 1:High-density network of low-cost, ultra-low-power MegaWatch intelligent terminals worn by everystudent. They communicate between themselves and/or with larger units acting as a gateway vialow-frequency data links.Layer 2:High performance mobile computing TermiNodes that act as computing platform and asintermediate jump-station (gateway) for wireless communication. Communication withMegaWatch(es) via low-frequency, with base-stations via high-frequency (WiFi 802.11b).Layer 3:Fixed wireless LAN (WLAN) base-stations operating on established standard 802.11b. Thisinfrastructure already exists at EPFL.What the project will bring:Figure 4 The proposed MegaWatch NetworkAs explained before, the project will create a pole of competency necessary to face tomorrowtechnical challenges. It will also provide a test platform for the following domains:- Reconfigurable Hardware to explore Ad hoc Algorithms and Protocols15 / 83