An Ultra Low Power System Architecture for Sensor Network Applications

Summary Ultra-low-power chip for sensor network applications

Application and Benefits: Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used in a wide variety of applications including environmental monitoring, vehicle tracking, health-care, and business supply-chain management. Often such networks must provide continuous sensing for long periods of time, resulting in a need for inexpensive, long-lasting, highly reliable devices. Power consumption is usually the most important design constraint, as energy use determines the length of time that devices will last without servicing. Harvard’s ultra low power architectural design addresses this power challenge by achieving one to two orders of magnitude reduction in power dissipation over existing commodity-based systems.

Innovation: The invention is a novel design of an ultra low power chip that is customized for the needs of WSN applications. In our low power chip architecture, the power use of the CPU, radio and sensor devices are optimized to reduce total system power requirements. Current WSNs use non-optimized, commodity microcontrollers that consume more power resulting in limited operational lifetimes.

Patent Status: pending.

Applications Wireless sensor devices; habitat, medical and structural monitoring applications. For Further Information Please Contact the Director of Business Development Alan Gordon Email: [email protected] Telephone: (617) 384-5000

Inventor(s): Brooks, David M.

Type of Offer: Licensing



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