2
mngr
6y

Wireless mesh
home automation
FPGA

Project Type
Open source idea
Summary

Wireless mesh<br /> home automation<br /> FPGA

Description
So, here is my idea, I still have to study what I want to do, what needs to be done, and what is already done. there is a thing called wireless mesh, peer2multipeer, is a wireless mode (like acces point) that permits a net of peer to talk to each other without a master, like our distributed god desire. home automation is the perfect place to develop such network (maybe?) since we have a lot of cheap devices, that are more or less mobile, and very distributed in the home. it improves home automation because they are currently struggling with cables, and masters. so: making little devices for switches, ligths, temperature sensors, windows, doors, and whatnot. every of these devices must have a little antenna, and a micro controller that supports mesh networking, that MAY imply a dedicated peripheral inside the micro. common wifi boards don't supoort that type of communication, I fear, and for these reason I may need to work with FPGAs, in case I need to do a VERY LOW level tweaking... then the micro manage one or two GPIOs, I don't expect lot of problem here. mesh protocol (like 802.11s or BATMAN) (ISO OSI level 2) is still in its developing speaking via mesh will require a lot of work to do it without a linux subsystem, I think. then there will be one or more devices in the house that control the others, and allow remote control if desired. well folks, these is what I am thinking about, if anyone has any link for me to study I would really appreciate. I explained it very harshly, so make questions about every thing you need to. ah, and sorry for the english if I invented some words here and there
Tech Stack
hardware design, eletronics, network comunication, firmware, driver, IPv6?, the whole rabbit hole
Current Team Size
will such thing ever start?
Comments
  • 1
    FPGAs are a HUGE overkill for this project! Just use arm for that! FPGA are used for very specific speed extensive applications on example: osciloscopes or other instruments.
    You cant create wifi with that. Usb and enthernet might be possible but remember fpga is just a huge chip full of simple gates, yes imagine creating a computer from scrach!

    If you use rasperry pi you will get wifi, hdmi, usb, ethernet, complete linux machine with ready libraies that you can use for your project.
  • 0
    @Gregozor2121 Lattice is doing very cheap FPGAs...
    I know that with RPi and dongles I solve the problem, but using it in every lightbulb is way too expensive.

    about ARM... Is there a micro that can manage an antenna for that type of communication? Can we just program that micro, or do we need to modify the peripheral inside it?
    in the latter case, FPGA is required...
  • 2
    @mngr Google for ESP8266, it's a embedded system with a WiFi module.

    It's dirt cheap and garbage sometimes.

    I have used it though and you know, you can get it to work with some willpower.
  • 0
    @BigBoo I will surely look if it can work!!
  • 0
    @BigBoo Spent the evening reading about the esp8266:
    I have seen a github repo, talking about it and ad hoc mesh, but still using 802.11g; searching about the esp and 802.11s reveals that the current version does not support it.
  • 0
  • 0
    Rasberry pi zero costs like few bucks... And those cheap fpgas propably have too few cells to be usefull. I cant imagine that fpga will be better suited in this situation.
    Rasberry pi zero has more functionality, is easier to program and is definitly cheaper than fpga.

    Im curious. Why do you even want to use fpgas? Is is realy nessesary? If yes how are you going to use it?
  • 0
    It is possible. We had a bachelor thesis where a video RTP stream originating from a Drone was send to client via a meshed network. If the link quality to the actual node getting worse the Stream was automatically switched over to a node with better link quality.

    The student used devices from Turris Omnia as nodes.

    https://omnia.turris.cz/en

    The used HWMP for routing with this implementation(in linux kernel since 2.6.26):

    https://github.com/o11s/open80211s/...

    Maybe its worth a look. :)
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