Short testbed description

The w-iLab.t allows flexible testing of the functionality and performance of wireless networking protocols and systems in a time-effective way, by providing hardware and the means to install and configure firmware and software on (a selection of) nodes, schedule automated experiments, and collect, visualize and process results. Thanks to an in-house designed hardware control device, unique features of the testbed include the triggering of repeatable digital or analog I/O events at the sensor nodes, real-time monitoring of the power consumption, and battery capacity emulation.

Example experiments

A wide range of experiments is possible. Below, only examples of cognitive networking experiments are presented.

• Interference avoidance in the 2.4 GHz ISM band: activate a subset of nodes (both sensor nodes using 802.15.4 and Wi-Fi nodes. Implement interference avoidance protocols on top of the sensor node and/or Wi-Fi node. Check the impact on the spectrum using the imec sensing engines installed in the testbed.
• Distributed via centralized sensing approaches: compare the difference between different sensing algorithms, e.g. installed on sensor nodes
• Performance of low-cost sensing modules: find out how accurate RSSI readings collected by sensor nodes are when implementing a certain channel-sampling algorithm on top of these nodes. Compare this with the performance of high-end sensing solutions, based e.g. on USRPs or imec sensing devices located in the same environment.

Access information

Experimenters may use (= install firmware, code, software, images,... on one or more nodes, view status, download results,...) the testbed remotely via an OpenVPN connection over the internet. Most interactions are performed via a web interface, although direct connections to devices over SSH is also possible.

The testbeds at both locations (Office, Zwijnaarde) are accessible 24/7, with the restriction that Wi-Fi experiments are not allowed at the Office location during office hours. Usage is bound to a negotiable quota in function of the type and amount of infrastructure needed.

Please check the basic w-iLab.t tutorial for details on how to get an account.

Demonstration

• General introduction movie to the w-iLab.t
• After applying for an account, a set of tutorials is offered to get you started right away.

Getting started and user documentation