Section: New Software and Platforms

Platforms

Reproducible research laboratory (${\mathrm{R}}^2\mathrm{lab}$)

Scientific evaluation of network protocols requires for experiments to be reproducible before they can be deemed valid. This is particularly difficult to obtain in the wireless networking area, where characteristics of wireless channels are known to be variable, unpredictable and hardly controllable.

The ${\mathrm{R}}^2\mathrm{lab}$ wireless testbed is built around an isolated and anechoic chamber, featuring RF absorbers preventing radio waves reflections and a Faraday cage blocking external interferences. This lab, named ${\mathrm{R}}^2\mathrm{lab}$, represents an ideal environment for experiments reproducibility.

It represents a perfect facility for making wireless experiments reproducible. It has been operated for 3 years now, in the context of the FIT Equipment of Excellence project, and as such, it is now federated with the other testbeds that are part of the FIT initiative. This testbed is for the long-haul, and is scheduled to remain operational until at least 2020.

During 2017, our focus regarding ${\mathrm{R}}^2\mathrm{lab}$ has been set on deploying more, and more diverse USRPs (Universal Software Radio Peripherals). The chamber now offers more Ettus-based devices, as well as a couple of lime-sdr devices, and a couple of E3372 LTE dongles. An apple iphone will soon be available, in addition to the first nexus phone. All these additions aim at widening even further the spectrum of experiments that the testbed can support.

For more details see http://r2lab.inria.fr.