S15: Wireless Mesh Network

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Grading Criteria

  • How well is Software & Hardware Design described?
  • How well can this report be used to reproduce this project?
  • Code Quality
  • Overall Report Quality:
    • Software Block Diagrams
    • Hardware Block Diagrams
      Schematic Quality
    • Quality of technical challenges and solutions adopted.

Project Title

Wireless Mesh Network

Abstract

A mesh network topology is a design in which each node in the network is connected to at least two other nodes in the network. Communication between two nodes is established without a internet connection. Each node in the network can talk to every other node in the network by exchanging a payload data. An important feature of mesh network is that there is no single point of failure(SPoF), i.e. data is transmitted via an alternative route even if a node in the network fails. In this project we are implementing a wireless mesh network using Nordic wireless on SJOne boards. Each SJOne board acts as a node in the wireless mesh network. Features such as self-healing, shortest path routing, address nodes with auto-replies, and node participation are implemented to as to make the communication more reliable.

Objectives & Introduction

The wireless mesh network is achieved through the built-in Nordic Wireless interface. Each board acts as a node in the wireless mesh network which sends and receives information. The following objectives are to be implemented:

  • Self-healing
  • Shortest Path routes
  • Address nodes with auto-replies
  • Each node participation
Fig 1. Full mesh topology
Fig 2. Partial mesh topology


Mesh networks play an important part in the Internet of Things(IoT). Mesh networks can use a full mesh topology or a partial mesh topology. In full mesh topology, each node is connected to every other node in the network and in a partial mesh topology at least one node is connected to every other node and the rest of the nodes are connected to the nodes that they frequently exchange data with. Wired mesh network pose several constraints. Each node in the network has to be physically connected to every other node. The advancement of wireless mesh networks simplifies this approach.

A Wireless Mesh Network(WMN) is a communication network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. It was originally developed for the military communication. A typical wireless mesh network consists of mesh clients, mesh routers, and gateways. In this project the SJOne boards are the mesh clients. Mesh routers route traffic from the gateways, which can happen over the internet. A mesh cloud comprises of the area covered by the radio nodes working as a single network. A mesh network is highly reliable, during transmission if a node fails, the data is sent to the other node through a redirected path. The data is transmitted from one node to other in hops through the intermediate nodes. Each intermediate nodes maintains a routing table which includes information about the network topology, destination node, source node and next hop. A routing table is a database which keeps track of the path and assists the intermediate node in delivering the information from source to the destination.


Team Members & Responsibilities

1. Akhil Bhargav Josyabhatla

  • Software implementation

2. Dheeraj Dake

  • Software implementation

3. Manideep Kurumella

  • Software implementation

4. Vishnu Vardhana Reddy Mandalapu

  • Software implementation

Schedule

Show a simple table or figures that show your scheduled as planned before you started working on the project. Then in another table column, write down the actual schedule so that readers can see the planned vs. actual goals. The point of the schedule is for readers to assess how to pace themselves if they are doing a similar project.

Week Dates Challenges Comments
1 3/31 - 4/7 Mesh network overview Completed
2 4/7 - 4/14 ANT network overview Completed
3 4/14 - 4/21 To test communication between the boards using Nordic wireless Completed (Packet Loss)
4 4/21 - 4/28 To send packets using addressing techniques To be done
5 4/28 - 5/5 To test the shortest path using all possible configurations To be done
6 5/5 - 5/12 Implement self healing and re-transmission mechanisms To be done
7 5/12 - 5/19 Testing To be done
8 5/19 - 5/25 More testing and final demo To be done

Parts List & Cost

Item Price Quantity Price
SJ One Board $80 4 $320


Design & Implementation

The design section can go over your hardware and software design. Organize this section using sub-sections that go over your design and implementation.

Hardware Design

Discuss your hardware design here. Show detailed schematics, and the interface here.

Hardware Interface

In this section, you can describe how your hardware communicates, such as which BUSes used. You can discuss your driver implementation here, such that the Software Design section is isolated to talk about high level workings rather than inner working of your project.

Software Design

Show your software design. For example, if you are designing an MP3 Player, show the tasks that you are using, and what they are doing at a high level. Do not show the details of the code. For example, do not show exact code, but you may show psuedocode and fragments of code. Keep in mind that you are showing DESIGN of your software, not the inner workings of it.

Implementation

This section includes implementation, but again, not the details, just the high level. For example, you can list the steps it takes to communicate over a sensor, or the steps needed to write a page of memory onto SPI Flash. You can include sub-sections for each of your component implementation.

Testing & Technical Challenges

Describe the challenges of your project. What advise would you give yourself or someone else if your project can be started from scratch again? Make a smooth transition to testing section and described what it took to test your project.

Include sub-sections that list out a problem and solution, such as:

My Issue #1

Discuss the issue and resolution.

Conclusion

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Project Video

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Project Source Code

References

Acknowledgement

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References Used

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Appendix

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