Smart Dust

Seminar Report 08

WHAT IS A SMART DUST?

Autonomous sensing and communication in a cubic millimeter
Berkeleys Smart Dust project, led by Professors Pister and Kahn, discussed carefully on the limits on size and power consumption in autonomous sensor nodes. Size reduction is more important , to make the nodes as ine pensi!e and easy"to"or#anise as possible. $he research team is confident that they can include the needed sensin#, communication, and computin# hardware, alon# with a power supply, in a !olume no more than a few cubic millimeters, while still achie!in# impressi!e performance in terms of sensor functionality and communications capability. $hese millimeter"scale nodes are called %Smart &ust.' (t is certainly within the impossible of possibility that future prototypes of Smart &ust could be small enou#h to remain suspended in air, to keep floatin# by air currents, sensin# and communicatin# for hours or days on end. )Smart dust) * sensor"laden networked computer nodes that are just cubic millimetres in !olume. $he smart dust project en!isions a complete sensor network node, includin# power supply, processor, sensor and communications mechanisms, in a sin#le cubic millimetre. .Smart dust motes could run for years , #i!en that a cubic millimetre battery can store +, and could be backed up with a solar cell or !ibrational ener#y source $he #oal of the Smart &ust project is to build a millimeter"scale sensin# and communication platform for a massi!ely distributed sensor network. $his de!ice will be around the size of a #rain of sand and will contain sensors, computational ability, bi"directional wireless communications, and a power supply. Smart dust consists of series of circuit and micro"electro"mechanical systems -./.S0 desi#ns to cast those functions into custom silicon. .icroelectromechanical systems -./.S0 consist of e tremely tiny mechanical elements, often inte#rated to#ether with electronic circuitry.

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THE MEMS TECHNO O!" IN SMART DUST

Smart dust re1uires mainly re!olutionary ad!ances in

miniaturization, inte#ration 2 ener#y mana#ement. 3ence desi#ners ha!e used ./.S technolo#y to build small sensors, optical communication components, and power supplies. .icroelectro mechanical systems consists of e tremely tiny mechanical elements, often inte#rated to#ether with electronic circuitory. $hey are measured in micrometers, that is millions of a meter. $hey are made in a similar fashion as computer chips. $he ad!anta#e of this manufacturin# process is not simply that small structures can be achie!ed but also that thousands or e!en millions of system elements can be fabricated simultaneously. $his allows systems to be both hi#hly comple and e tremely low"cost. .icro"/lectro".echanical Systems -./.S0 is the inte#ration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate throu#h microfabrication technolo#y. 4hile the electronics are fabricated usin# inte#rated circuit -(50 process se1uences -e.#., 5.6S, Bipolar processes0, the micromechanical components are fabricated usin# compatible 7micromachinin#7 processes that selecti!ely etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical de!ices. ./.S realizes a complete System 6n chip technolo#y. .icroelectronic inte#rated circuits can be thou#ht of as the 7brains7 of a system and allow microsystems to sense and control the en!ironment. Sensors #ather information from the en!ironment throu#h measurin# mechanical, thermal, biolo#ical, chemical, optical, and ma#netic phenomena. $he electronics then process the information deri!ed from the sensors and throu#h some decision makin# capability direct the actuators to respond by mo!in#, positionin#, re#ulatin#, and filterin#, thereby
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controllin# the en!ironment for some desired purpose. Because ./.S de!ices are manufactured usin# batch fabrication techni1ues similar to those used for inte#rated circuits, unprecedented le!els of functionality, reliability, and sophistication can be placed on a small silicon chip at a relati!ely low cost. $he deep insi#ht of ./.S is as a new manufacturin# technolo#y, a way of makin# comple electromechanical systems usin# batch fabrication techni1ues similar to those used for inte#rated circuits, and unitin# these electromechanical elements to#ether with electronics.3istorically, sensors and actuators are the most costly and unreliable part of a sensor"actuator"electronics system. ./.S technolo#y allows these comple electromechanical systems to be manufactured usin# batch fabrication techni1ues, increasin# the reliability of the sensors and actuators to e1ual that of inte#rated circuits. $he performance of ./.S de!ices and systems is e pected to be superior to macroscale components and systems, the price is predicted to be much lower.

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Smart Dust

Seminar Report 08

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Seminar Report 08

SMART DUST TECHNO O!"

Integrated into a single #ac$age are %&

+. 8. 9. :. <. =.

./.S sensors ./.S beam steerin# mirror for acti!e optical transmission ./.S corner cube retroreflector for passi!e optical transmission ;n optical recei!er Si#nal processin# and control circuitory ; power source based on thick film batteries and solar cells $his remarkable packa#e has the ability to sense and communicate and

is self powered. ; major challen#e is to incorporate all these functions while maintainin# !ery low power consumption.

Sensors collect information Smart dust employs 8 types of

transmission schemes>"passi!e transmission usin# corner cube retroreflector to transmit to base stations and acti!e transmission usin# a laser diode 2 steerable mirrors for mote to mote communication.

$he photo diode allows optical data reception Si#nal processin# 2 control circuitory consists of analo# (?6 ,&SPs to
control 2process the incomin# data

$he power system consists of a thick film battery,a solar cell with a char#e
inte#ratin# capacitor for a period of darkness.

O'ERATION O( THE MOTE

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$he Smart &ust mote is run by a microcontroller that not only determines the tasks performed by the mote, but controls power to the !arious components of the system to conser!e ener#y. Periodically the microcontroller #ets a readin# from one of the sensors, which measure one of a number of physical or chemical stimuli such as temperature, ambient li#ht, !ibration, acceleration, or air pressure, processes the data, and stores it in memory. (t also occasionally turns on the optical recei!er to see if anyone is tryin# to communicate with it. $his communication may include new pro#rams or messa#es from other motes. (n response to a messa#e or upon its own initiati!e the microcontroller will use the corner cube retroreflector or laser to transmit sensor data or a messa#e to a base station or another mote. $he primary constraint in the desi#n of the Smart &ust motes is !olume, which in turn puts a se!ere constraint on ener#y since we do not ha!e much room for batteries or lar#e solar cells. $hus, the motes must operate efficiently and conser!e ener#y whene!er possible. .ost of the time, the majority of the mote is powered off with only a clock and a few timers runnin#. 4hen a timer e pires, it powers up a part of the mote to carry out a job, then powers off. ; few of the timers control the sensors that measure one of a number of physical or chemical stimuli such as temperature, ambient li#ht, !ibration, acceleration, or air pressure. 4hen one of these timers e pires, it powers up the correspondin# sensor, takes a sample, and con!erts it to a di#ital word. (f the data is interestin#, it may either be stored directly in the S@;. or the microcontroller is powered up to perform more comple operations with it. 4hen this task is complete, e!erythin# is a#ain powered down and the timer be#ins countin# a#ain.

;nother timer controls the recei!er. 4hen that timer e pires, the
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recei!er powers up and looks for an incomin# packet. (f it doesn)t see one after a certain len#th of time, it is powered down a#ain. $he mote can recei!e se!eral types of packets, includin# ones that are new pro#ram code that is stored in the pro#ram memory. $his allows the user to chan#e the beha!ior of the mote remotely. Packets may also include messa#es from the base station or other motes. 4hen one of these is recei!ed, the microcontroller is powered up and used to interpret the contents of the messa#e. $he messa#e may tell the mote to do somethin# in particular, or it may be a messa#e that is just bein# passed from one mote to another on its way to a particular destination. (n response to a messa#e or to another timer e pirin#, the microcontroller will assemble a packet containin# sensor data or a messa#e and transmit it usin# either the corner cube retroreflector or the laser diode, dependin# on which it has. $he laser diode contains the onboard laser which sends si#nals to the base station by blinkin# on and off. $he corner cube retroreflector , transmits information just by mo!in# a mirror and thus chan#in# the reflection of a laser beam from the base station. $his techni1ue is substantially more ener#y efficient than actually #eneratin# some radiation. 4ith the laser diode and a set of beam scannin# mirrors, we can transmit data in any direction desired, allowin# the mote to communicate with other Smart &ust motes.

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Smart Dust

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COMMUNICATIN! WITH A SMART DUST

COMMUNICATIN! (ROM A !RAIN O( SAND
Smart &usts full potential can only be attained when the sensor nodes communicate with one another or with a central base station. 4ireless communication facilitates simultaneous data collection from thousands of sensors. $here are se!eral options for communicatin# to and from a cubic"millimeter computer. @adio"fre1uency and optical communications each ha!e their stren#ths and weaknesses. @adio"fre1uency communication is well under" stood, but currently re1uires minimum power le!els in the multiple milliwatt ran#e due to analo# mi ers, filters, and oscillators. (f whisker" thin antennas of centimeter len#th can be accepted as a part of a dust mote, then reasonably efficient antennas can be made for radio"fre1uency communication. 4hile the smallest complete radios are still on the order of a few hundred cubic millimeters, there is acti!e work in the industry to produce cubic"millmeter radios. .oreo!er @B techni1ues cannot be used because of the followin# disad!anta#es >"
8. Burthermore radio transcei!ers are relati!ely comple circuits makin#

it difficult to reduce their power consumption to re1uired microwatt le!els.

9. $hey re1uire modulation, band pass filterin# and demodulation

circuitory. So an attracti!e alternati!e is to employ free space optical transmission. Studies ha!e shown that when a line of si#ht path is a!ailable , well defined free space optical links re1uire si#nificantly lower ener#y per
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bit than their @B counterpaths. $here are se!eral reasons for power ad!anta#e of optical links.
+. 6ptical transcei!ers re1uire only simple baseband 9. $he short wa!elen#th of !isible or near infra red li#ht -of the order of

+ micron0 makes it possible for a millimeter scale de!ice to emit a narrow beam -ie, hi#h antenna #ain can be achie!ed0.

Semiconductor lasers and diode recei!ers are intrinsically small, and the correspondin# transmission and detection circuitry for on?off keyed optical communication is more amenable to low"power operation than most radio schema. Perhaps most important, optical power can be collimated in ti#ht beams e!en from small apertures. &iffraction enforces a fundamental limit on the di!er#ence of a beam, whether it comes from an antenna or a lens. Daser pointers are cheap e amples of milliradian collimation from a millimeter aperture. $o #et similar collimation for a +"E3z radio" fre1uency si#nal would re1uire an antenna +FF meters across, due to the difference in wa!elen#th of the two transmissions. ;s a result, optical transmitters of millimeter size can #et antenna #ains of one million or more, while similarly sized radio"fre1uency antennas are doomed by physics to be mostly isotropic. 5ollimated optical communication has two major drawbacks. Dine of si#ht is re1uired for all but the shortest distances, and narrow beams imply the need for accurate pointin#. 6f these, the pointin# accuracy can be sol!ed by ./.S technolo#y and cle!er al#orithms, but an optical transmitter under a leaf or in a shirt pocket is of little use to anyone.
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4e ha!e chosen to e plore optical communication in some depth due to the potential for e treme low"power communication.

O'TICA COMMUNICATIONS
We )a*e e+#lored t,o a##roac)es to o#tical communications% passi!e reflecti!e systems and acti!e"steered laser systems. (n a passi!e communication system, the dust mote does not re1uire an onboard li#ht source. (nstead, a special confi#uration of mirrors can either reflect or not reflect li#ht to a remote source.

'assi*e re-lecti*e s.stems

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$he passi!e reflecti!e communication is obtained by a special de!ice called 55@ -5orner cube retro reflector0 consists of three mutually ortho#onal mirrors. Di#ht enters the 55@, bounces off each of the three mirrors, and is reflected back parallel to the direction it entered. (n the ./.S !ersion, the de!ice has one mirror mounted on a sprin# at an an#le sli#htly askew from perpendicularity to the other mirrors. (n this position, because the li#ht enterin# the 55@ does not return alon# the same entry path, little li#ht returns to the source*a di#ital F. ;pplyin# !olta#e between this mirror and an electrode beneath it causes the mirror to shift to a position perpendicular to other mirrors, thus causin# the li#ht enterin# the 55@ to return to its source*a di#ital +. $he mirrors low mass allows the 55@ to switch between these two states up to a thousand times per second, usin# less than a nanojoule per F + transition. ; +HF transition, on the other hand, is practically free because dumpin# the char#e stored on the electrode to the #round re1uires almost no ener#y. 6ur latest Smart &ust de!ice is a =9"mm9 autonomous bidirectional communication mote that recei!es an optical si#nal, #enerates a pseudorandom se1uence based on this si#nal to emulate sensor data, and then optically transmits the result. $he system contains a micromachined corner"cube reflector, a F.FAC"mm9 5.6S chip that draws +A microwatts, and a hearin# aid battery. (n addition to a battery based operation, we ha!e also powered the de!ice usin# a 8"mm8 solar cell. $his mote demonstrates Smart &usts essential concepts, such as optical data transmission, data processin#, ener#y mana#ement, miniaturization, and system inte#ration. ; passi!e communication system suffers se!eral limitations. Inable to communicate with each other, motes rely on a central station e1uipped with a li#ht source to send and recei!e data from other motes. (f a
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#i!en mote does ha!e a clear line of si#ht to the central station, that mote will be isolated from the network. ;lso, because the 55@ reflects only a small fraction of the li#ht emitted from the base station, this systems ran#e cannot easily e tend beyond + kilometer. $o circum!ent these limitations, dust motes must be acti!e and ha!e their own onboard li#ht source.

Acti*e&steered laser s.stems

Bor mote"to"mote communication, an acti!e"steered laser

communication system uses an onboard li#ht source to send a ti#htly collimated li#ht beam toward an intended recei!er. Steered laser communication has the ad!anta#e of hi#h power densityJ for e ample, a +" milliwatt laser radiatin# into + milliradian -9.: arcseconds0 has a density of appro imately 9+C kilowatts per steradian -there are : steradians in a sphere0, as opposed to a +FF"watt li#htbulb that radiates C watts per steradian isotropically. ; Smart &ust motes emitted beam would ha!e a di!er#ence of appro imately + milliradian, permittin# communication o!er enormous distances usin# milliwatts of power. /ach mote must carefully wei#h the needs to sense, compute, communicate, and e!aluate its ener#y reser!e status before allocatin# precious nanojoules of ener#y to turn on its transmitter or recei!er. Because these motes spend most of their time sleepin#, with their recei!ers turned off, schedulin# a common awake time across the network is difficult. (f motes dont wake up in a synchronized manner, a hi#hly dynamic network topolo#y and lar#e packet latency result. Isin# burstmode communication, in which the laser operates at up to se!eral tens of me#abits per second for a few milliseconds, pro!ides the most ener#y"efficient way to schedule this network. $his procedure minimizes the motes duty cycle and better utilizes its ener#y reser!es. $he steered a#ile laser transmitter consists of a semiconductor diode laser

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coupled with a collimatin# lens and ./.S beam"steerin# optics based on a two de#ree"of"freedom silicon micromirror. $his system inte#rates all optical components into an acti!e C"mm9 !olume as the fi#ure shows

CORNER CU/E RETRORE( ECTOR

$hese ./.S structure makes it possible for dust motes to use passi!e optical transmission techni1ues ie, to transmit modulated optical si#nals without supplyin# any optical power. (t comprises of three mutually perpendicular mirrors of #old"coated polysilicon. $he 55@ has the property that any incident ray of li#ht is reflected back to the source -pro!ided that it is incident within a certain ran#e of an#les centered about the cubes body dia#onal0.(f one of the mirrors is misali#ned , this retroreflection property is spoiled. $he microfabricated 55@ contains an electrostatic actuator that can deflect one of the mirrors at kilohertz rate. (t has been demonstrated that a 55@ illuminated by an e ternal li#ht source can transmit back a modulated si#nal at kilobits per second. Since the dust mote itself does not emit li#ht , passi!e transmitter consumes little power. Isin# a microfabricated 55@, data transmission at a bit rate upto + kilobit per second and upto a ran#e of +<F mts ,usin# a < milliwattt illuminatin# laser is possible.

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(t should be emphasized that 55@ based passi!e optical links re1uire an uninterrupted line of si#ht. $he 55@ based transmitter is hi#hly directional. ; 55@ can transmit to the B$S only when the 55@ body dia#onal happens to point directly towards the B$S, within a few tens of de#rees. ; passi!e transmitter can be made more omnidirectional by employin# se!eral 55@s ,oriented in different directions , at the e pense of increased dust mote size.

$he fi#ure illustrates free space optical network utilizin# the 55@ based passi!e uplink. $he B$S contains a laser whose beam illuminates an area containin# dust motes. $his beam can be modulated with downlink data includin# commands to wake up and 1uery the dust motes. 4hen the illuminatin# beam is not modulated , the dust motes can use their 55@s to transmit uplink data back to the base station. ; hi#h frame rate 55& !ideo camera at the B$S sees the 55@ si#nals as li#hts blinkin# on and off. (t decodes these blinkin# ima#es to yield the uplink data. ;nalysis show that this uplink scheme achie!es se!eral kilobits per second o!er hundreds of metres in full sunli#ht. ;t ni#ht ,in clear ,still air ,the ran#e should e tend to se!eral kilometres. Because the camera uses an ima#in# process to separate the simultaneous transmissions from dust motes at different locations, we say it uses space di!ision multiple in#. $he ability for a
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!ideo camera to resol!e these transmissions is the conse1uence of the short wa!elen#th of !isible or near infra red li#ht. $his does not re1uire any coordination amon# the dust motes.

ACTI0E O'TICA TRANSMITTERS

4hen the application re1uires dust motes to use acti!e optical transmitters , ./.S technolo#y can be used to assemble a semiconductor laser, a collimatin# lens, and a beam steerin# micro mirror. ;cti!e transmitters make possible peer to peer communication between dust motes, pro!ided there e ists a line of path of si#ht between them. Power consumption imposes a trade off between bandwidth and ran#e. $he dust motes can communicate o!er lon# distances at low data rates or hi#her bit rates o!er shorter distances. $he relati!ely hi#her power consumption of semiconductor lasers dictates that these acti!e transmitters be used for short duration burst mode communication only. Sensor network usin# acti!e dust mote transmitters will re1uire some protocol for dust motes to aim their beams towards the recei!in# parties.

ISTENIN! TO A DUST (IE D

.any Smart &ust applications rely on direct optical

communication from an entire field of dust motes to one or more base stations. $hese base stations must therefore be able to recei!e a !olume of simultaneous optical transmissions. Burther, communication must be possible outdoors in bri#ht sunli#ht which has an intensity of appro imately + kilowatt per s1uare meter, althou#h the dust motes each

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transmit information with a few milliwatts of power. Isin# a narrow"band optical filter to eliminate all sunli#ht e cept the portion near the li#ht fre1uency used for communication can partially sol!e this second problem, but the ambient optical power often remains much stron#er than the recei!ed si#nal power.

Ad*antages o- imaging recei*ers

;s with the transmitter, the short wa!elen#th of optical transmissions compared with radio fre1uency o!ercomes both challen#es. Di#ht from a lar#e field of !iew field can be focused into an ima#e, as in our eyes or in a camera. (ma#in# recei!ers utilize this to analyze different portions of the ima#e separately to process simultaneous transmissions from different an#les. $his method of distin#uishin# transmissions based on their ori#inatin# location is referred to as space di!ision multiple access -S&.;0. (n contrast, most radio"fre1uency antennas recei!e all incident radio power in a sin#le si#nal, which re1uires usin# additional tactics, such as fre1uency tunin# or code di!ision multiple access -5&.;0, to separate simultaneous transmissions.

(ma#in# recei!ers also offer the ad!anta#e of dramatically decreasin# the ratio of ambient optical power to recei!ed si#nal power.(deally, the ima#in# recei!er will focus all of the recei!ed power from a sin#le transmission onto a sin#le photodetector. (f the recei!er has an n HKn array of pi els, then the ambient li#ht that each pi el recei!es is reduced by a factor n8 compared with a nonima#in# recei!er.

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0ideo camera1
; !ideo camera is a strai#htforward implementation of an ima#in# recei!er. (f each member in a colony of Smart &ust motes flashes its own si#nal at a rate of a few bits per second, then each transmitter will appear in the !ideo stream at a different location in the ima#e. Isin# a hi#h"speed camera and a dedicated di#ital si#nal processor to process the !ideo si#nal achie!es hi#her data rates. 4ith modern cameras and &SPs, processin# !ideo at about +,FFF frames per second should be feasible. $his would allow communication at a few hundred bits per second, which is
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acceptable for many applications. ;n alternati!e recei!er architecture pro!ides a more ele#ant solution at much hi#her data rates, a!oidin# the need for computationally intensi!e !ideo processin# and !ery hi#h speed cameras. (nte#ratin# an ima#in# recei!er onto a sin#le microchip imposes se!ere constraints in silicon area and power consumption per pi el. 6nly recently ha!e continuin# reductions in transistor size allowed for sufficient reductions in circuit area and power consumption to achie!e this le!el of inte#ration.

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CORE (UNCTIONA IT" S'ECI(ICATION

5hoose the case of military base monitorin# wherein on the order of a thousand Smart &ust motes are deployed outside a base by a micro air !ehicle to monitor !ehicle mo!ement. $he motes can be used to determine when !ehicles were mo!in#, what type of !ehicle it was, and possibly how fast it was tra!ellin#. $he motes may contain sensors for !ibration, sound, li#ht, (@, temperature, and ma#netization. 55@s will be used for transmission, so communication will only be between a base station and the motes, not between motes. ; typical operation for this scenario would be to ac1uire data, store it for a day or two, then upload the data after bein# interro#ated with a laser. 3owe!er, to really see what functionality the architecture needed to pro!ide and how much reconfi#urability would be necessary, an e hausti!e list of the potential acti!ities in this scenario was made. $he operations that the mote must perform can be broken down into two cate#ories> those that pro!oke an immediate action and those that reconfi#ure the mote to affect future beha!ior.

'ro#osed Arc)itecture
Dookin# throu#h the functional specifications for the core, we realized that each operation is re#ulated by a timed e!entJ hence a bank of timers forms the basis of the architecture. Bor minimum ener#y, a direct mappin# of a particular function into hardware is #enerally best, but from the list of specifications it was clear that a certain amount of reconfi#urability would be necessary. $hus, the timers enable setup memories that confi#ure functional blocks into data paths that pro!ide only the capabilities necessary for that e!ent. $hese paths are data"dri!en so that

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functional blocks are only powered up when their inputs are ready, minimizin# standby power and #litchin#. ; block dia#ram of this new architecture is shown in the fi#ure

$he ne t fi#ure details a section of the timer bank and setup memory. $he timer is loaded from the timer !alue memory, settin# its period. 4hen the timer e pires, it enables setupmemory 1, which confi#ures the data path to perform the desired function. 4hen the data path has finished its operation, setup memory 1 will release its confi#uration and .e K ither the timer !alue can be loaded into the timer and theKcountdown restarted or setup memory 2 can be enabled. Setup memory 2 will then confi#ure the data path for another operation, thus facilitatin# multiple operations per timer e!ent. ;dditional setup memory can be added for more in!ol!ed se1uences. .emory holds certain timer"independent confi#uration bits, such as timer enables. $he sensor re#isters are used to store pre!ious sensor readin#s to use in computin# data chan#es. Larious computation blocks can be included in the data path, such as an adder, comparator, and BB$ unit.

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.ultiple timer periods are desirable for se!eral situations. Bor e ample, one mi#ht want to sample a sensor at a slow rate until an interestin# si#nal is detected. ;t that point, the samplin# rate should increase. (n addition, the motes mi#ht be deployed without anyone comin# back to talk to them for a day, so it would be desirable to be able to set the recei!er wake"up timer to not wake"up for 8: hours, but then it should decrease the period dramatically to +Fs of seconds in case one doesnt make it back to talk to the mote at e actly the ri#ht time. $he proposed architecture facilitates this by pro!idin# multiple timer !alues that can be loaded into the timer dependin# on the results of the data path computation. ;nother feature of this architecture is ener#y"dri!en operation modes. ;n ener#y"monitorin# unit selects between multiple banks of setup memory and timer !alues dependin# on the current le!el of the ener#y stores. /ach bank can ha!e different timer periods and al#orithms to control ener#y e penditure. $wo types of packets can be sent to the mote, correspondin# to the two types of operations. (mmediate mode operations use the packet body to confi#ure the data path ri#ht away. @econfi#uration

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operations load the packet body into the setup memory for future confi#uration.

$he followin# fi#ure shows the functional blocks included in the reconfi#urable data path.

Bor the communications back end, there is a data reco!ery block, timin# reco!ery block, B(@ filter, packet encoder that does bits stuffin# and adds the fla# byte, packet decoder that does bit unstuffin#, 5@5 block, and a B(B6. (ncomin# packets are stored in the B(B6 until the 5@5 can be !erified, at which point the packet body will be used as described abo!e. $he #lobal memory holds certain timer"independent confi#uration bits, such as timer enables. $he sensor re#isters are used to store pre!ious sensor readin#s to use in computin# data chan#es. Larious computation blocks can be included in the data path, such as an adder, comparator, and BB$ unit.

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;ll of the functional units in the data path are data dri!en. $he setup memory only powers up and enables the first set of units that are needed, such as the sensor and ;&5. 6nce these units ha!e done their job, they assert a done si#nal that is routed, based on the confi#uration memory, to the ne t unit, such as the adder, and powers it up and enables it. Dikewise, when this unit has finished its job, it will power up and enable the ne t de!ice in the chain. $he last unit in the path will cause the timer to reload its !alue and cause the setup memory to stop confi#urin# the data path. $he ad!anta#es of this data dri!en techni1ue include minimizin# the standby power by keepin# components powered down until e actly when they are needed, and ensurin# that the inputs are stable before the ne t de!ice is powered up, which minimizes #litches. (t is si#nificant to note that since this architecture does not use shared busses as in traditional microcontrollers, the functional components can be confi#ured for certain parallel operations. Bor e ample, a sensor readin# could be both stored in S@;. and transmitted with the 55@, althou#h this is not necessarily a desirable capability.

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'ER(ORMIN! A TAS2

Bi#ure < delineates the operation of the architecture by showin# the confi#uration for one of the most common tasks, ac1uirin# sensor data, checkin# if it has chan#ed more than a threshold !alue, then storin# the result to memory. 6ne potential hazard of this architecture is that the done si#nals can #litch as the blocks are powered up, which would pro!ide a false tri##er to the ne t sta#e. ; second issue is that despite the fact that the blocks are powered down, the internal nodes do not dischar#e immediately. ;n ad!anta#e of this is that less char#e will be needed when the block is powered up a#ain. 3owe!er, this stored char#e will also allow the block to continue to dri!e its outputs despite bein# powered down, so the outputs will #enerally need tri"state buffers. $hese hazards will re1uire some e tra work at the circuit le!el to make this architecture work. 3spice simulations were used simulations were used to determine the power and ener#y consumptions of some of the blocks to study the feasibility of the proposed architecture. $he preliminary results of 3spice simulations show that it is possible to achie!e atleast two orders of ma#nitude lower ener#y consumption, with this proposed architecture.
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MA3OR CHA

EN!ES

+. $o incorporate all these functions while maintainin# a low power consumption 8. .a imisin# operatin# life #i!en the limited !olume of ener#y stora#e 9. $he functionality can be achie!ed only if the total power consumption is limited to microwatt le!els. :. ;n unbroken line of si#ht of path should be a!ailable for free space optical links.

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A'' ICATIONS
+. 5i!il and military applications where chemical 2 biolo#ical a#ents in a battle field are detected. 8. Lirtual keyboard Elue a dust mote on each of your fin#ernails. ;ccelerometers will sense the orientation and motion of each of your fin#ertips, and talk to the computer in your watch. 5ombined with a ./.S au#mented"reality heads"up display, your entire computer (?6 would be in!isible to the people around you. 9. (n!entory 5ontrol Smart office spaces $he 5enter for the Built /n!ironment has fabulous plans for the office of the future in which en!ironmental conditions are tailored to the desires of e!ery indi!idual. .aybe soon we)ll all be wearin# temperature, humidity, and en!ironmental comfort sensors sewn into our clothes, continuously talkin# to our workspaces which will deli!er conditions tailored to our needs. :. (ndi!idual dust motes can be attached to the objects one wishes to monitor or a lar#e no> of dust motes may be dispersed in the en!ironment randomly. <. &ust motes may be used in places where wired sensors are unusable or may lead to errors. /#>" (nstrumentation of semiconductor processin# chambers,wind tennels, rotatin# machinery etc. =. .ay be used in biolo#ical research e#>" to monitor mo!ements 2 internal processes of insects.

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Seminar Report 08

HOW (AR THE" HA0E /EEN IM' EMENTED

+. $he optical recei!er for the smart dust project is bein# de!eloped. $he recei!er senses incomin# laser transmissions at up to +.bit?s, for a power consumption of +8M4. ;lthou#h this is too hi#h for continuous use in smart dust, it is a reasonable fi#ure for the download of small amounts of data such as a +Kbit pro#ram. 8. Bor data transmission, the team is usin# corner cube retro"reflectors -55@s0 built usin# ./.S techni1ues. 55@s are produced by placin# three mirrors at ri#ht an#les to each other to form the corner of a bo that has been sil!ered inside. $he key property of a 55@ is that li#ht enterin# it is reflected back alon# the path it entered on. Bor the smart dust system, the 55@ is bein# built on a ./.S process with the two !ertical sides bein# assembled by hand. 4hen a li#ht is shone into the 55@, it reflects back to the sendin# position. By modulatin# the position of one of the mirrors, the reflected beam can be modulated, producin# a low"ener#y passi!e transmission. 9. $he analo#"di#ital con!ertor -;&50 the Cbit ;&5, has so far demonstrated with an input ran#e of +L, e1ual to the power supply, and a AFk3z samplin# rate. $he con!erter draws +.CM4 when samplin# at that rate, or 8Ap, for an Cbit sample. :. $he latest smart dust mote, with a !olume of just +=cu mm, has been tested. (t takes samples from a photo"detector, transmits their !alues with the 55@ and runs off solar cells. So smart dust is on the way.

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SUMMAR"
Smart dust is made up of thousands of sand"#rain"sized sensors that can measure ambient li#ht and temperature. $he sensors "" each one is called a 7mote7 "" ha!e wireless communications de!ices attached to them, and if you put a bunch of them near each other, they)ll network themsel!es automatically. $hese sensors, which would cost pennies each if mass"produced, could be plastered all o!er office buildin#s and homes. /ach room in an office buildin# mi#ht ha!e a hundred or e!en a thousand li#ht" and temperature"sensin# motes, all of which would tie into a central computer that re#ulates ener#y usa#e in the buildin#. $aken to#ether, the motes would constitute a hu#e sensor network of smart dust, a network that would #i!e en#ineers insi#ht into how ener#y is used and how it can be conser!ed. (n a dust"enabled buildin#, computers would turn off li#hts and climate control in empty rooms. &urin# peak ener#y usa#e times, air conditioners that cool ser!ers "" which drain a lot of the tech world)s power "" would be automatically shut off, and then turned on a#ain if the ser!ers #et too hot. $hus it can !ery lead to worlds ener#y conser!ation solutions.

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Seminar Report 08

RE(ERENCES

+. P.B.5hu , KS, Pister N %optical communication usin# micro corner cube reflectors' +Fth (/// (ntl 4orkshop on .icro /lectro .echanical Systems 8. , . Kahn , @.3.Katz, KS, Pister N %.obile Oetworkin# for Smart &ust' 9. www.eecs.berkerly.edu

:. www.entecolle#e.com

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Seminar Report 08

AC2NOW ED!EMENT

( e tend my sincere thanks to 'ro-

4 3ead of the &epartment for

pro!idin# me with the #uidance and facilities for the Seminar. ( e press my sincere #ratitude to Seminar coordinator Mr , Staff in char#e, for their cooperation and #uidance for preparin# and presentin# this seminar. ( also e tend my sincere thanks to all other faculty members of /lectronics and 5ommunication &epartment and my friends for their support and encoura#ement.

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Seminar Report 08

A/STRACT
;d!ances in hardware technolo#y has enabled !ery compact, autonomous and mobile nodes each ha!in# one or more sensors, computation and communication capabilities ,and a power supply. $he Smart &ust project is e plorin# whether an autonomous sensin#, computin#, and communication system can be packed into a cubic" millimeter mote to form the basis of inte#rated, massi!ely distributed sensor networks. (t focuses on reduction of power consumption, size and cost. $o build these small sensors, processors, communication de!ices, and power supply , desi#ners ha!e used the ./.S -.icro electro mechanical Systems0 technolo#y. Smart &ust nodes otherwise known as %motes' are usually of the size of a #rain of sand and each mote consists of > +. sensors 8. transmitter 2 recei!er enablin# bidirectional wireless communication. 9. processors and control circuitory :. power supply unit Isin# smart dust nodes, nano,oules. $hese dust motes enable a lot of applications, because at these small dimensions ,these motes can be scattered from aircraft for battle field monitorin# or can be stirred into house paint to create the ultimate home sensor network. the ener#y to ac1uire and process a

sample and then transmit some data about it could be as small as a few

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Seminar Report 08

CONTENTS
WHAT IS A SMART DUST? THE MEMS TECHNO O!" IN SMART DUST SMART DUST TECHNO O!" O'ERATION O( THE MOTE COMMUNICATIN! WITH A SMART DUST O'TICA COMMUNICATIONS ISTENIN! TO A DUST (IE D CORE (UNCTIONA IT" S'ECI(ICATION 'ER(ORMIN! A TAS2 MA3OR CHA EN!ES

A'' ICATIONS HOW (AR THE" HA0E /EEN IM' EMENTED SUMMAR" RE(ERENCES

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