Time in Wireless Embedded System
Wireless embedded networks have matured beyond academic research as industry now considers the advantages of using wireless sensors. With this growth, reliability and real-time demands increase, thus timing becomes more and more relevant. In this dissertation, we focus on the development of highly stable, low-power clock systems for wireless embedded systems. Wireless embedded networks, due to their wire-free nature, present one of the most extreme power budget design challenges in the field of electronics. Improvements in timing can reduce the energy required to operate an embedded network. However, the more accurate a time source is, the more power it consumes. To comprehensively address the time and power problems in wireless embedded systems, this dissertation studies the exploitation of dual-crystal clock architectures to combat effects of temperature induced frequency error and high power consumption of high-frequency clocks. Combining these architectures with the inherent communication capabilities of wireless embedded systems, this dissertation proposes two new technologies; (1) a new time synchronization service that automatically calibrates a local clock to changes in temperature; (2) a high-low frequency timer that allows a duty-cycled embedded system to achieve ultra low-power sleep, while keeping fine granularity time resolution offered only by high power, high frequency clocks.
Freescale Trust Computing and Security in the Smart Grid
With the increasing deployment of automated technical solutions in the implementation of automated metering reading (AMR), advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart grid infrastructure, possibilities of security attacks like data hacking, introducing malware in the system and cyber attacks are on the rise as well. Vulnerabilities in AMI devices include non-secure data buses, serial connections or remote access to debug port. The question arises: how can data security and customer privacy in smart meters and smart energy gateways be ensured? This paper talks about how trusted computing helps resolve security issues in implementing the smart grid by providing a clear idea of what elements of the system are trusted—and to what level and why. Freescale solutions that embed trusted computing are also covered.
