On Passive Wireless Sensors Based on Intermodulation Communication

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School of Electrical Engineering | Doctoral thesis (article-based) | Defence date: 2015-10-09
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Date

2015

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

85 + app. 69

Series

Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS, 122/2015

Abstract

Wireless sensors are needed in applications where a wired connection is difficult. Wireless sensors are often equipped with a radio transceiver and a battery or another energy source. These energy sources may limit life-time or operation conditions, and increase the size and cost of wireless sensors. Wireless sensors can also be passive. Due to the limited energy available for these sensors, they typically only support relatively short communication distances and may not provide a means for identifying a certain sensor. This dissertation develops a certain type of passive wireless sensors called the intermodulation communication sensors. This type of passive wireless sensor may potentially have many advantages compared with other passive wireless sensors. Intermodulation communication sensors have been developed in many ways in this dissertation. One challenge was that they were difficult to make compliant with frequency regulations due to the relatively large band needed. This dissertation shows how the bandwidth required can be reduced significantly by using a Quartz crystal or other mechanical resonators. It is also demonstrated that such a resonator enables the utilization of a generic capacitive sensing element in the sensor, making it possible to monitor a broad set of variables. Furthermore, it is shown how intermodulation sensors can be made identifiable. Despite the fact that the studied sensor circuits are fairly simple, many important parameters, such as the read-out distance and measurements resolution strongly depend on the selected circuit components. This dissertation derives design equations for one specific sensor circuitry. The design equations help to choose proper component values in order to achieve the best possible read-out resolution. Passive wireless sensors are often used in large volume applications where low sensor fabrication cost is important. Unit fabrication costs of electronic circuits can typically be lowered by increasing volumes and the integration level. This dissertation studied how the integration of intermodulation communication sensors could be increased by integrating all the passives. The intermodulation communication sensors are interrogated with a specific reader device. This dissertation has contributed to the development and realization of a reader device whose limitations affecting reader performance are studied. The reader device also needs to estimate the sensor state from the measured intermodulation response of the sensor. Furthermore, this dissertation has contributed to the development of an estimation algorithm for the sensor state.

Description

Supervising professor

Viikari, Ville, Prof., Aalto University, Department of Radio Science and Engineering, Finland

Thesis advisor

Pesonen, Nadine, Dr., VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland

Keywords

mixers, intermodulation communication, passive wireless sensors, RFID

Other note

Parts

  • [Publication 1]: V. Viikari, J. Song, and H. Seppä, “Passive wireless sensor platform utilizing a mechanical resonator,” IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 1180–1186, April, 2013.
  • [Publication 2]: J. Song, V. Viikari, N. Pesonen, I. Marttila, and H. Seppä, “Optimization of wireless sensors based on intermodulation communication,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 61, No. 9, pp. 3446–3452, September, 2013.
  • [Publication 3]: J. Song, J. Salmi, V. Viikari, and N. Pesonen, “Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Passive Wireless Intermodulation Communication Sensors,” IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 2280–2286, February, 2015.
  • [Publication 4]: J. Song, N. Pesonen, and V. Viikari, “Realizing Frequency Division Multiple Access with Passive Wireless Intermodulation Communication Sensors,” Microwave and Optical Technology Letters, Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 274–277, December, 2014.
  • [Publication 5]: J. Song, N. Pesonen, V. Viikari, and H. Seppä, “On the Use of the Intermodulation Communication Towards Zero Power Sensor Nodes,” in Proceedings of the 43rd European Microwave Conference, Nuremberg, Germany, pp. 124–127, 6–10 October, 2013.
  • [Publication 6]: J. Song, N. Pesonen and V. Viikari, “Long Range Passive Wireless MEMS-based Inclination or Acceleration Sensor Utilizing the Intermodulation Communication Principle,” in Proceedings of the International Wireless Symposium (IWS), Xi’an, China, pp. 1–4, 24–26 March, 2014.
  • [Publication 7]: J. Song, N. Pesonen, P. Pursula, and V. Viikari, “Integrated Passive Wireless Sensor Transponders based on the Intermodulation Communication Principle,” in Proceedings of International Microwave Symposium (IMS), Tampa, FL, pp. 1–4, 1–6 June, 2014.
  • [Publication 8]: V. Viikari, J. Song, N. Pesonen, P. Pursula, H. Seppä, “Review of Passive Wireless Sensors Utilizing the Intermodulation Communication,” in Proceeds of RFID-TA 2014, Tampere, Finland, pp. 56–61, 8–9 September, 2014.
  • [Publication 9]: P. Pursula, N. Pesonen, J. Song, I. Marttila, and V. Viikari, “Achieving Long Reading Ranges with Passive Wireless Intermodulation Sensors,” in Proceedings of RFID-TA 2014, Tampere, Finland, pp. 131–134, 8–9 September, 2014.

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