Nanonetworking Testbed API

Nanonetworking Testbed API

(Two Students, Two Semesters)

Nanonetworking is an emerging research field that focuses on communications between nanomachines. Nanoscale physics renders traditional electromagnetic communication mechanisms useless; therefore, novel approaches are required. Molecular Communications (MC), thanks to the help of the evolution of biological organisms, offers the most promising approach in Nanonetworking. Visit our Nanonetworking Research Group (NRG) website at http://nrg.boun.edu.tr for details.

The idea in MC is to transfer the messages by encoding the information on a feature of a wave of messenger molecules, as opposed to utilizing amplitude/frequency/phase features of an electromagnetic wave. The molecules typically propagate in the environment subject to diffusion (a.k.a. Brownian Motion). This type of communication is known as Molecular Communication via Diffusion (MCvD). The main reason why MCvD stands out among other approaches is that it serves both as a stand-alone means of communication as well as constituting the basis of many other approaches.

Performing experiments at the nanoscale is a quite difficult task. At Bogaziçi University, we are lucky to have the second "Molecular MIMO Testbed" in the world, developed by our South Korean partner at Yonsei University. Jointly, we plan to develop platform that will allow online access to the testbed in order to execute experiments remotely. The developed platform will later be used also for the first Nanoscale Communications Hackathon, where the students will be able to develop and test their unique algorithms to transmit messages.

In this project, you are will develop the mentioned platform. As NRG, we will oversee and contribute in the design and direct you throughout the project. The project is basically a software development project, but it also relates to the control of the testbed equipment. You will be implementing various algorithms (channel estimation, channel coding, distance between Tx and Rx etc.) on a micro-scale MCvD testbed (See the figure below). The testbed consists of micro-controllers for transmitter and receiver. Implementing the algorithms on micro-controllers, comparing the test results with the analytical results, and finally preparing a simple but effective API is some of the work that is expected. At the end of the first term, you will be expected to understand the basics of molecular communication and how the testbed works and implement 2 simple algorithms. At the end of the second term, you will be expected to implement the remaining algorithms and develop an API.