Prototyping Systems for Car-2-Car Communications (IEEE 802.11p/DSRC)
Motivation
Wireless Car-to-Car communications systems are crucial to the future improvement of traffic safety and traffic flow. Furthermore, applications like on-board navigation and logistics are expected to benefit greatly from a widespread adoption of such systems.
The standardization of Car-to-Car communications is still ongoing within IEEE 802.11p. As a member of the 802.11 family of standards, 802.11p is based on existing wireless LAN standards, which are adapted to the specific requirements of Car-to-Car and Car-to-Infrastructure communications. However, many features of the future system are not yet defined or standardized. A flexible, reconfigurable prototyping platform is therefore needed for development and demonstration of applications and future MAC/PHY features.
Freedelity's Flexible Prototyping Platform
Freedelity offers a prototyping platform for field tests and demonstration of future Car-to-Car and Car-to-Infrastructure equipment. This system includes an OFDM-PHY and full 802.11-MAC-functionality. The customer can modify any features of the MAC and PHY layers, which are implemented in software. It is an ideal wireless prototyping system for flexible tests of PHY enhancements and MAC modifications under real-world wireless channel conditions.
Test devices based on Freedelity's prototyping system can be quickly adapted to the ongoing standardization. Features that are not yet fixed can be implemented proprietarily by the customer or by Freedelity based on our expertise in wireless communications systems. Freedelity's prototyping system can be applied either as a roadside infrastructure unit or as an on-board unit in vehicles.
Freedelity's accompanying software offers free access to all 802.11 MAC features and access point functionality as well as mobile station functionality.
Freedelity and Signalion
Freedelity works in close cooperation with Signalion, one of the leading manufacturers of test systems for future cellular communications systems. Signalion's expertise in the field of software-defined radio went into the development of the Car-to-Car communications system. By the end of 2007, the activities in this area have been consolidated under the roof of the startup company Freedelity.