User Documentation

This page contains documentation for the CitySense testbed.

What is CitySense?

CitySense consists of a set of nodes deployed on rooftops and streetlights around Cambridge. Currently there are 25 nodes deployed outside and another 32 nodes deployed as part of an indoor testbed at Maxwell Dworkin Hall at Harvard.

The CitySense nodes have a variety of sensors attached to them, currently we have weather, CO2, and noise pollution sensors. Not all nodes have a sensor attached, and none of the indoor nodes have sensors. Over time we plan to populate all of the outdoor nodes with sensors. The indoor nodes are primarily intended for development and debugging.

CitySense nodes are based on two separate single board computer platforms: The  ALIX 2D2 (533 MHz CPU, 258 MB RAM) and the  Soekris net4826 (233 Mhz CPU, 128 MB RAM). All nodes run FreeBSD 7.

CitySense nodes use wireless mesh routing to connect to the Internet, except for a couple of "gateway" nodes with a wired Internet connection. Each nodes has two separate radios - a  Ubiquiti SR9 (900 MHz) and a  Wistron CM9 (2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g). The Ubiquiti is the "management" radio and is used as the primary access to the nodes. We run the  OLSR mesh routing protocol. The Wistron radio is an "experimental" radio and is left unconfigured by our system, so it is available for application use.

Accessing Sensor and Network Data

We are using CitySense to collect various types of data which are available for public access at the links below:

Signing up for an account

You can access the sensor and network measurement data produced by CitySense using the links above. However, if you wish to run your own applications on the testbed, you'll need to sign up for an account.

Currently (as of April 2009) we are opening up CitySense for external users on a trial basis. Since the system is still very much under flux we cannot promise a high degree of reliability. Please contact  Prof. Matt Welsh to discuss your needs and we can set you up with an account!

Network Status

You can view real-time status of the network at the links below:

More Documentation