ProSpeckz III Design and Implementation

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ProSpeckz III Design and Implementation

• Martin Ling Steven Wong
• University of Edinburgh
• m.j.ling_at_ed.ac.uk / k.j.wong_at_sms.ed.ac.uk

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Overview

• Introduction
• Brief review of ProSpeckz II
• Applications demonstrators developed
• Requirements for ProSpeckz III
• Design approach final design
• Status future work
• Questions

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ProSpeckz II - Specifications

• Single quarter-credit-cardsized board.
• Cypress CY8C2764 PSoC 8-bit12MHz
  microcontroller with256 bytes RAM, 16K Flash,12
  analogue and 8 digitalprogrammable peripheral
  blocks.
• Chipcon CC2420 2.4GHz, IEEE 802.15.4 RF
  transceiver, providing 250kbps data rate with
  programmable power output, 16 available channels.
• Runs from 3V lithium button cell or 3.6V Varta
  Mempac, with power consumption between 300?A
  (deep sleep) and 24.5mA (PSoC active radio
  receiving).

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ProSpeckz II Benefits

• Facilitates application demonstrations and
  feasibility studies.
• Provides a physical testbed for radio MAC and
  network layer protocols.
• Helps to give estimates of performance,
  requirements and restrictions for Specks.
• Easily extensible by plugging in sensors,
  actuators and other additional hardware.

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ProSpeckz II Existing Applications

• Distributed fire safety system
• Proximity-aware speaking objects/toys
• Museum visitor movement and interaction tracking
• Autonomous control of small vehicles
• Relative position detection in 2D plane
• Smart Jewellery

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ProSpeckz II Video Demonstrations

• (Video)

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ProSpeckz II - Problems

• Very limited resources.
• Memory even smaller than is likely on a Speck.
• Awkward to develop applications.
• Unfamiliar programming environment.
• Difficult for potential users to experiment with.
• Results not directly relevant for real Specks.
• Not an architecture development platform.
• Time for something new

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ProSpeckz III - Requirements

• A platform to prototype applications quickly and
  easily, and evaluate their hardware requirements.
• Generous CPU memory resources.
• Support familiar programming environments (Java,
  C).
• Ideally able to run a basic OS (e.g. TinyOS,
  eCos, uClinux).
• Small, rugged, low-power design in suitable
  packaging.
• A platform to develop the architecture of a real
  Speck.
• FPGA for testing CPU and baseband designs.
• Easy swap-in of alternative RF circuits.
• Flexible, extensible and runtime-programmable.
• Should be able to combine any combination of
  software/hardware components.
• Low cost, and available quickly.

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ProSpeckz III Design Approach

• Split system into multiple boards.
• Minimise size, cost and power consumption for
  each application.
• Develop independently and limit cost of
  redesigns.
• Re-use elements of ProSpeckz II design.
• Faster development.
• Backwards compatibility.
• Use flexible components, and keep them flexible.
• Provide plentiful interconnection expansion.
• Leave details to be set in software.

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ProSpeckz III Stackable Design

• ProSpeckz III Components
• Sensor board Cypress CY8C2764 PSoC, sensors for
  light/sound/temperature and expansion ports.
• Radio board Chipcon CC2420 2.4GHz IEEE 802.15.4
  RF transceiver and antenna.
• CPU board 60MHz Atmel AT91 with ARM7TDMI core,
  256KB on-board SRAM and 2MB Flash.
• Memory board 2MB additional SRAM and
  SecureDigital card interface.
• FPGA board Xilinx XC3S200 Spartan-III (200k
  gates), with 8-bit ADC/DAC and daughterboard
  connection for prototype RF circuits.
• Power board (not shown) provides 3V and 1.8V
  supplies from one or two 3V lithium button cells
  or 3.6V Varta Mempac, or runs and charges from
  external DC power.

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ProSpeckz III Usage

• For developing applications
• Develop for JVM, ARM7, Cypress PSoC, FPGA-hosted
  processor, or any combination.
• Test in numbers with minimum required hardware.
• Transfer step by step to FPGA-hosted Speck
  prototype.
• For developing Speck CPU baseband
• Replace components one by one with FPGA-hosted
  equivalents.
• Final VHDL specifies final ASIC design.
• For developing Speck RF systems
• Connect directly to analogue interface on FPGA
  board to communicate with baseband layer.

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ProSpeckz III Status

• Most components now ready, with assembled CPU
  boards due in 1-2 weeks.
• Completed peripheral boards are being tested on
  an AT91 development system, and drivers written.
• Documentation and development tools to follow the
  first complete system.
• Prospective application developers can be given
  some starting points now.

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Questions

• Any questions?