Interoperable marine monitoring systems

Toma Daniel MihaiTechnical University of Catalonia

Mentor: Tom O’Reilly

MBARI 2010

What is Interoperability ?

Two or more systems or components are NOT Interoperable without the ability to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged.

Interoperability is the ability of diverse systems to work together (inter-operate).

Marine Observation System

Data Management

Scientific InstrumentsInfrastructure

Hard to integrate a new component

Software and hardware has to be added for each new component to make the system functional

Oceanographic Instruments

Serial interface (>90%), not designed for network operation

Serial interface can be replaced by low-power Ethernet

Compatibility with ALL networks : cabled, buoy, standalone

Infrastructure independent

• Allocate addresses (IP Link-Local Addressing)• Allocate unique human readable name and translate to

IP address• Provide simple standard protocol to access

information about capabilities and communication

protocol of the instrument• Standard method to register and find instruments

Net

wor

k O

pera

tion

How we can resolve this issues ?

MBARI IP PUCK Protocol Zeroconf Protocol

UDPTCP

IP

MBARI IP PUCK

PUCK provides a protocol and “container” to store instrument-related information (“payload”) with the instrument itself

Data management system• retrieves and utilizes information (standard

description SensorML, IEEE1451 TEDS, drivers)

• Only one generic software interface for multiple communication protocols

MBARI IP PUCK

UUID

PUCK version

Datasheet size

Manufacturer ID

Instrument model ID

Instrument version ID

Instrument serial #

Instrument name

ZeroconfMulticast Domain Name System (mDNS)

Unique Human Readable Name

Instrument IP PUCK implementation

PUCK memory

• FatFs file system

• SD card

PUCK TCPProtocol

• lwIP stack• Any TCP

port

Luminary micro 2 - 3 weeks work

Zeroconf protocol

Automatic assignment of numeric network addresses for

networked device

Automatic resolution and distribution of device hostname

Provide the network access information of devices and

service.

Instruments

Automatic location of IP PUCK Enable Instrument devices through DNS service discovery

Automatic registration of PUCK TCP service for each IP PUCK Enable Instrument

Data Management systems

Instrument Zeroconf implementation

IP Address

• 169.254.X.X• Run when connected

to the Network

mDNS

• PUCK Instrument Name + Serial Number

• Run when connected to the network

PUCK TCP

Service

• Same name as mDNS• Run when other

device ask for PUCK TCP Service

Luminary micro lwIP stack ~ 2 weeks work

SensorML + SID Payload

Video Demo

Conclusions• A low power Instrument platform based on

Internet Protocol was successfully implemented using Luminary microcontroller.

• The Zeroconf and PUCK Protocols provide “plug and work” capability with a very low cost in implementation for instruments and also for the entire system.

• A XML description of instrument capabilities and communication protocol was successfully used to auto-configure a generic acquisition system.

• Useful services can be created more easy based on the generic interface capable to work with different instruments without any manual configuration.