A fountain code forward error correction strategy for SensLAB applications
Du Toit · 2014
A Fountain Code Forward Error Correction Strategy for SensLAB Applications J. du Toit Thesis: BEng (E and E) April 2014 The discovery of sparse graph codes, used in forward error correction strategies, has had an unrivaled impact on Information theory over the past decade. A recent advancement in this eld, called Fountain codes, have gained much attention due to its intelligent rate adaptivity, and lend itself to applications such as multicasting and broadcasting networks. These particular properties can be considered valuable in a wireless sensor network setting as it is capable of providing forward error correction, and the added conceptual network protocol related extensions. A wireless sensor network testbed in France, called SensLAB, provides an experimental facility for researchers to develop and evaluate sensor network protocols, aside from a simulation environment. Tremendous value can be added to the SensLAB community if an appropriate forward error correction design, such as Fountain codes, is deemed feasible for use on such a platform. This thesis investigates the use of Fountain codes, in a binary erasure channel environment, as a forward error correction strategy for the distribution of reliable data content over the SensLAB platform. A short message length LT code using two di erent decoding mechanisms were developed and evaluated for possible implementation. Furthermore, a short message length Raptor code was developed by using supplementary theory and optimisation techniques that permit scalability in terms of the message size. The results favoured the Raptor code design as it performs close to near optimal while still satisfying the ratelessand universality property, at low computational complexity. ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za