Multi-Hop Wireless Mesh Network Co-development with Industry Partner Using a Student Research and Development Team

Dennis Derickson

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Conference: 2025 ASEE PSW Conference
Location: California Polytechnic University, California
Publication Date: April 10, 2025
Start Date: April 10, 2025
End Date: April 12, 2025
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--55183
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55183

Paper Authors

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Dennis Derickson California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

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Abstract

The authors intend to follow up with a full paper. The objective and motivation for this project is to advance the field of multi-hop wireless mesh networking equipment using unlicensed frequency bands. Cal Poly faculty and students worked with a small start-up commercial sponsor, OWL Integrations (www.owlintegrations.com), to provide a major portion of the start-up company’s product development efforts. The key student development efforts included three mesh network circuit board modules that were designed, fabricated and tested. The key contribution from the OWL integrations team was the creation of a networking protocol called the Cluster Duck Protocol (CDP) https://clusterduckprotocol.org/. The key new technology for this mesh network are new integrated circuits that implement the Long Range (LoRa) integrated circuit and modulation format developed by the Company Semtech (https://www.semtech.com/uploads/technology/LoRa/lora-and-lorawan.pdf) . The three design elements of the mesh network modules are the LoRa chip, a GPS/GNSS navigation module, and a next generation microcontroller set that provides overall coordination and internet connectivity. The three different networking modules that were created include one that emphasized low-power operation, one that had security features and one that is optimized for satellite interconnectivity. Software was developed by students to implement the Cluster Duck Protocol on these three new hardware sets. There are three distinct software personalities that are used when utilizing the Cluster Duck Protocol. The sensor node LoRa data source is called a Duck Link. The message repeater in this mesh network is called a MamaDuck. The message receiver and internet connection device is called a PapaDuck. Student project teams have worked with OWL Integrations to generate custom printed circuit boards and custom software to advance the capability of the cluster duck protocol. The first custom hardware and software that the Cal Poly team developed was a Duck Link module that utilized the RP2040 microprocessor in its design and is called the RC1 design. A second Duck Link module was developed that utilized the TI CC3325 Processor and is called the RC2 design. A third Duck Link module was designed so that it could be incorporated into a Cube Sat module for flight with the Sal-E experiment and is called the SQUAD design. On Nov. 22 and 23, 2024 the OWL student project team and the OWL integrations corporate team joined together for a 3-day demonstration of capability called Space Ducks 4.5. A key goal of Space Ducks 4.5 was to compare the performance of the student developed RC1, RC2, and SQUAD modules against the present generation modules that were developed by OWL integrations. The robustness of the wireless LoRa link prototypes was to be compared over a wide variety of terrestrial and airborne paths. A separate student project team developed two custom Radio Controlled fixed-wing airplanes that would fly the Duck Link radios with flight plans over a mountainous terrain. Automated data taking software was developed to record duck link GPS position, GPS time, Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), packet data content and packet errors. Extensive data sets were taken to demonstrate the wireless mesh network link performance over a wide range of terrains in real time. Key results that came from the Space Ducks 4.5 project collaboration with OWL Integrations include a 3-hop mesh network link (plane-to-plane-to-ground) over a set of 400-meter-tall mountains and a single-hop link distance of 25 km. This presentation will give a summary of the collaboration project development, the space ducks 4.5 data set, and a graphical interface replay of the flight set with visualization tools for the audience. The assessment plan for this project co-development is the successful introduction of the product to the marketplace with revenue generation that can sustain the company.

Citation
Format

Derickson, D. (2025, April), Multi-Hop Wireless Mesh Network Co-development with Industry Partner Using a Student Research and Development Team Paper presented at 2025 ASEE PSW Conference, California Polytechnic University, California. 10.18260/1-2--55183

TY - CPAPER
AB - The authors intend to follow up with a full paper.
The objective and motivation for this project is to advance the field of multi-hop wireless mesh networking equipment using unlicensed frequency bands. Cal Poly faculty and students worked with a small start-up commercial sponsor, OWL Integrations (www.owlintegrations.com), to provide a major portion of the start-up company’s product development efforts. The key student development efforts included three mesh network circuit board modules that were designed, fabricated and tested. The key contribution from the OWL integrations team was the creation of a networking protocol called the Cluster Duck Protocol (CDP) https://clusterduckprotocol.org/. The key new technology for this mesh network are new integrated circuits that implement the Long Range (LoRa) integrated circuit and modulation format developed by the Company Semtech (https://www.semtech.com/uploads/technology/LoRa/lora-and-lorawan.pdf) . The three design elements of the mesh network modules are the LoRa chip, a GPS/GNSS navigation module, and a next generation microcontroller set that provides overall coordination and internet connectivity. The three different networking modules that were created include one that emphasized low-power operation, one that had security features and one that is optimized for satellite interconnectivity. Software was developed by students to implement the Cluster Duck Protocol on these three new hardware sets. There are three distinct software personalities that are used when utilizing the Cluster Duck Protocol. The sensor node LoRa data source is called a Duck Link. The message repeater in this mesh network is called a MamaDuck. The message receiver and internet connection device is called a PapaDuck. Student project teams have worked with OWL Integrations to generate custom printed circuit boards and custom software to advance the capability of the cluster duck protocol. The first custom hardware and software that the Cal Poly team developed was a Duck Link module that utilized the RP2040 microprocessor in its design and is called the RC1 design. A second Duck Link module was developed that utilized the TI CC3325 Processor and is called the RC2 design. A third Duck Link module was designed so that it could be incorporated into a Cube Sat module for flight with the Sal-E experiment and is called the SQUAD design. On Nov. 22 and 23, 2024 the OWL student project team and the OWL integrations corporate team joined together for a 3-day demonstration of capability called Space Ducks 4.5. A key goal of Space Ducks 4.5 was to compare the performance of the student developed RC1, RC2, and SQUAD modules against the present generation modules that were developed by OWL integrations. The robustness of the wireless LoRa link prototypes was to be compared over a wide variety of terrestrial and airborne paths. A separate student project team developed two custom Radio Controlled fixed-wing airplanes that would fly the Duck Link radios with flight plans over a mountainous terrain. Automated data taking software was developed to record duck link GPS position, GPS time, Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), packet data content and packet errors. Extensive data sets were taken to demonstrate the wireless mesh network link performance over a wide range of terrains in real time. Key results that came from the Space Ducks 4.5 project collaboration with OWL Integrations include a 3-hop mesh network link (plane-to-plane-to-ground) over a set of 400-meter-tall mountains and a single-hop link distance of 25 km. This presentation will give a summary of the collaboration project development, the space ducks 4.5 data set, and a graphical interface replay of the flight set with visualization tools for the audience. The assessment plan for this project co-development is the successful introduction of the product to the marketplace with revenue generation that can sustain the company.

AU - Dennis Derickson
CY - California Polytechnic University, California
DA - 2025/04/10
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Multi-Hop Wireless Mesh Network Co-development with Industry Partner Using a Student Research and Development Team
UR - https://peer.asee.org/55183
DO - 10.18260/1-2--55183
ER -