Student Projects

Duration:
One Semester

Student Name:
Jeremy Joël Weill

Abstract:

In this report, a low-cost solution for mmWave Software-Defined Radios (SDRs) is studied through the use of the RFSoc 4×2 board from Xilinx. OFDM packets, with a bandwidth of around 100 MHz, are transmitted in a loopback way by using 2 ADCs and 2 DACs ports of the board for transmitting separetely the imaginary and the real parts of the packets. A UDP connection is established between the board and a computer, through a QSFP cable, to recover and decode the receive signals. Through this report, it will be observed that the RFSoc 4×2 board could be a good option for low-cost mmWave SDRs but for some specific applications as sensing or localisation, it could be necessary to use other boards from Xilinx, as the ZCU8, that offer more possibilities thanks for instance to a higher number of DACs and ADCs ports.

Duration:
Two Semesters (Since 2023 Spring)

Student Name:
Raphael Cannatà, Haoxin Sun

Abstract:

The project is aimed at developing an easy-to-deploy private 5G network that can serve as a testbed for future research. The project takes advantage of the new Open RAN standards in order to be compatible with different hardware and software.

Duration:
One Semester

Student Name:
Franck Khayat

Duration:
One Semester

Student Name:
Cyril Golaz

Duration:
One Semester

Student Name:
Jeremy Weill

Abstract:

The EPFL Spacecraft Team (EST) is working on a twin CubeSat mission to be launched in 2026, carrying high-profile scientific payloads. To validate the first student-designed spaceflight hardware, the onboard computer for the final mission is launching to low Earth orbit in January 2023 as a hosted payload. The semester project focuses on designing the software-defined radio for the X-band transceiver, which will be the next subsystem to be tested in space.

Completed During:
Spring, 2023

Duration:
One Semester

Student Name:
Sevda Öğüt

Abstract:

Molecular networks have the potential to enable bio-implants and biological nano-machines to communicate inside the human body. Molecular networks send and receive data between nodes by releasing molecules into the bloodstream. In this work, we explore how we can scale molecular networks from a single transmitter single receiver paradigm to multiple transmitters that can concurrently send data to a receiver. We identify unique challenges in enabling multiple access in molecular networks that prevent us from using standard multiple access protocols. These challenges include the lack of synchronization and feedback, the non-negativity of molecular signals, the extremely long tail of the molecular channel leading to high ISI (Inter-Symbol-Interference), and the limited types of molecules that can be used for communication. We present MoMA (Molecular Multiple Access), a protocol that enables a molecular network with multiple transmitters. We introduce packet detection, channel estimation, and encoding/decoding schemes that leverage the unique properties of molecular networks to address the above challenges. We evaluate MoMA on a synthetic experimental testbed and demonstrate that it can scale up to four transmitters while signicantly outperforming the state-of-the-art.

Completed During:
Fall, 2022