Here’s a great talk from Kris Pister Prof. EECS, UC Berkeley, Founder & CTO, Dust Networks. It shows some results from years of experimentation on how to build reliable nets out of nasty unreliable RF channels.

Half of this talk, at CITRIS, is devoted to break down TSMP, a MAC/Network protocol that implements time, space and frequency diversity to provide five 9 reliability communications in a mesh network of sensor nodes.

While some false-starts have limited deployments to date, it seems the dust begins to settle: proven low power solutions for difficult RF environments with multi path interference, thus leading to industry-strength solutions and no site survey installations among different application spaces.

Where are they heading today? Toward a mote on a standard CMOS SoC (~4 mm^2) expected for 2009 and 10 years of battery life out of a coin cell, but then photo-voltaic also potentially embedded in the chip..

The video can be seen here or alternatively you could download (96 MB), watch and keep it, using this tool. Enjoy!

Cisco and Nivis this week demonstrated an operational wireless IP mesh network using the low-power IPv6 protocol, dubbed 6LoWPAN.

Using Nivis wireless sensors and routers, the demonstration network linked a parking meter with several streetlights, a sensor ring in a parking space, and what was described as a Cisco cell phone. The arrangement was used to communicate to the driver that a parking space was available, and in another instance that the meter had expired. The same system could be used to alert security details to turn on parking garage lights, or provide traffic meter staff with information about expired or inoperable meters.

More info here.

Sentilla’s Pervasive Computing Platform is now said to be available under a variety options. Customers and integrators may license the software directly from Sentilla as part of their own solution, or may purchase computer modules that combine software and hardware in a compact, scalable device suitable for an OEM.

For those wishing to get started right away, Sentilla’s platform is also available as a Development Kit, which includes the Java Powered(TM) software pre-installed on eight low-power wireless computers, an Eclipse-based IDE, server software for management and integration, and a gateway device to connect the pervasive network to a PC.

More info at Sentilla’s blog

Banner Engineering has introduced M-GAGE Wireless Sensor Node for vehicle sensing using its new SureCross Wireless Network.

The specially optimised M-GAGE wireless sensor is encapsulated in a rugged, IP67 SureCross Node enclosure and accompanied by a long-lasting FlexPower battery.

The battery supplies power for both sensing and wireless connectivity up to 10 years.

The M-GAGE wireless sensor offers greater durability and reliability than inductive loops and is less costly to install and maintain. Simple in-ground installation requires no major excavation and provides quick and easy access for battery replacement when required.

For more information, click here

The Wireless Sensor Networks Research Group is looking for researchers and developers who want to investigate using the Libelium mote and mesh router platforms. This group is a link between people with heterogeneous research interestsfor getting the most of wireless sensor networks improvements.

All the members of this group are concerned about the importance of open source projects when sharing and spreading knowledge. The open source concept applies to use open routing protocols for ensuring interoperability among networks and open monitoring and test platforms. On one hand, this kind of projects make it possible to join people from
all over the world working together and making faster developments due to the use of a common platform. On the other hand, open source philosophy makes technology affordable for developing countries.

Thus, people who has ideas but no resources can also research and contribute to the Community.

The main group activities are:

• Development of real WSN projects (in conjunction with other members)
• Articles and papers publications about the research work done (weekly update in the website)
• Conferences, meetings, workshops to coordinate the research

The group members can access to the current and upcoming (!) Libelium mote technology at special conditions.
All the info: http://www.sensor-networks.org
There is also a similar group which is being created now and which is focused in the Mesh Networks field: http://www.mesh-networks.org

MeshNetics, a leading provider of ZigBee modules and embedded software for OEMs and system integrators, announced its launch of the ZigBit 900, the “world’s first RF module for sub-1 GHz band that uses the ZigBee PRO Feature Set.” The new IEEE 802.15.4-2006 module is designed to operate in the ISM bands of 915 MHz in the U.S. and 868 MHz in Europe.
The ultra-compact ZigBit 900 module features exceptional sensitivity of –110 dBm and output power of 11 dBm, which result in the line-of-sight range of as much as 6000 m (over 3.7 miles). Power consumption stays at <6 µA in sleep mode, 11 mA in receive mode, and 26 mA in transmit mode, which translates into many years of battery life. The ZigBit 900 operates in the European ISM band from 863 to 870 MHz and in the North American ISM band from 902 to 928 MHz. The ZigBit 900 offers regional alternatives to the global 2.4 GHz band, where the channel characteristics of the lower frequencies can result in performance advantages in certain environments.

More info here.

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced a breakthrough generation of ultra-low power MSP430 microcontrollers (MCU), offering the industry’s lowest power consumption for devices that can provide up to 25 MHz peak performance, increased Flash and RAM memory and integrated peripherals such as radio frequency (RF), USB, encryption and LCD interfaces. With as low as 160 µA/MHz (microamp per megahertz) active power consumption and 1.5 µA in standby, MSP430F5xx MCUs enable longer battery life and the ability to use smaller batteries for portable applications, or no batteries at all for energy harvesting systems that run off of solar power, vibration energy or human body temperature. For more information, please visit: www.ti.com/5xx.

More info here.

Scientists hope a network of Canadian-built sensors capable of tracking marine life for almost 200 km starting from Halifax harbour will provide a better understanding of what lies beneath the surface of the world’s oceans.

Researchers at the Ocean Tracking Network announced Friday they had launched a method of keeping tabs on marine animals — from species as small as salmon to those as large as whales.

The $168-million project, headquartered at Dalhousie University, has so far placed almost 30 acoustic receivers on the sea floor that can track the movements of fish and other animals that have been fitted with special tags made by Halifax-based sensor company VEMCO.
For more information click here

Perpetuum (Southampton, UK) and CAP-XX Limited (Sydney, Australia) have collaborated to deliver what they say is the world’s first energy harvesting-and-supercapacitor system for powering large wireless sensor networks. In a paper presented today at the Darnell Group’s nanoPower Forum, CAP-XX’s Pierre Mars reported on the results of field trials at the Nyhamna gas plant in Norway to evaluate the system, which uses Perpetuum’s PMG17 vibration energy-harvesting microgenerator and CAP-XX’s supercapacitors.

So-called “condition monitoring” solutions traditionally depend on engineering personnel for manual data collection, or the use of battery-powered remote wireless sensors. The limited lifespan of the larger battery-powered systems in harsh environments, and the cost of replacing and disposing of old batteries, work against their use. “The microgenerator and supercapacitor combination eliminates battery reliability issues and time-consuming maintenance, while enabling significant savings in operational costs and energy use,” said Stephen Roberts, technical manager for Perpetuum. “Wireless system manufacturers can now easily design battery-free systems using this ‘fit and forget’ self-generating power source,” said Mars.

More info here.

Arduino Nano is a surface mount breadboard embedded version with integrated USB. It is a smallest, complete, and breadboard friendly. The Nano was designed by Gravitech.

It has everything that Diecimila has (electrically) with more analog input pins and onboard +5V AREF jumper. Physically, it is missing power jack and power select jumper. Since the Nano is automatically sense and switch to the higher potential source of power, there is no need for the power select jumper.

Nano’s got the breadboard-ability of the Boarduino and the Mini+USB with smaller footprint than either, so users have more breadboard space. It’s got a pin layout that works well with the Mini or the Basic Stamp (TX, RX, ATN, GND on one top, power and ground on the other). It’s a four-layer board with power and ground planes to help provide ICs with sufficient charge during switching and reduce noise (EMC) on high speed switching I/O pins. Ground plane help reduce radiation (EMI). Power plane is low in inductance; therefore any transients that may develop on the power line will be at lower levels.

More info here.