This research is focused on providing location information to nodes in wireless sensor networks. Wireless sensor networks are ad hoc, wireless networks of many simple nodes that contain sensors to measure environmental parameters as well as wireless communication capabilities. Localization using RF Time of Flight (TOF) measurements has been successful in some systems (e.g. GPS) but has proven difficult to optimize for low power, ground level devices. This work uses a combination of new and established techniques to combat the effects of noise, clock synchronization errors and multipath propagation. The end goal is to provide single node location information (accurate to 1 m) in 1 second at a cost of 100 microjoules.

To run simulations, it is convenient to use channel models in Matlab that are of some standard type. I have chosen to use models from the IEEE 802.15.4a task group that generated an alternative PHY spec based on UWB communication. Find those models here.

Publications

S. Lanzisera, K. Pister, "RF Ranging Methods and Performance Limits for Sensor Localization," in Localization Algorithms and Strategies for Wireless Sensor Networks: Monitoring and Surveillance Techniques for Target Tracking. G. Mao, B. Fidan, IGI Global, 2008. 

S. Lanzisera, K  Pister, "Burst Mode Two-way Ranging with Cramer-Rao Bound Noise Performance," Proceedings of the IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM), Dec 2008.

S. Lanzisera, K. Pister, “Theoretical and Practical Limits to Sensitivity in IEEE 802.15.4 Receivers,” IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems,  December 11-14, 2007.  

Cook, B. W.; Berny, A.; Molnar, A.; Lanzisera, S.; Pister, K. S. J., “Low-Power 2.4-GHz Transceiver With Passive RX Front-End and 400-mV Supply,” Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 41, Issue 12, December 2006,  Pages: 2757-2766.

S. Lanzisera, D. Lin, K. Pister, "RF Time of Flight Ranging for Wireless Sensor Network Localization," Workshop on Intelligent Solutions in Embedded Systems (WISES), June 2006.

B. Cook, S. Lanzisera, K. Pister, “SoC Issues for RF Smart Dust,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Volume 94,  Issue 6,  June 2006 Pages:1177 – 1196.

B. Cook, A. Berny, A. Molnar, S. Lanzisera, K. Pister, "An Ultra-Low-Power 2.4GHz RF Transceiver for Wireless Sensor Networks in 130nm CMOS with 400mV Supply and an Integrated Passive RX Front-end," International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) February 2006.

A. Molnar, B. Lu, S. Lanzisera, B. Cook, K. Pister, "An ultra-low power 900 MHz RF transceiver for wireless sensor networks," Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC), October 2004.

See the BSAC publications database for reprint information.