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Section: New Software and Platforms
Platforms
Reproducible research Lab - R2lab
Scientific evaluation of network protocols requires for experiments to be reproducible before they can be deemed valid. This is particularly difficult to obtain in the wireless networking area, where characteristics of wireless channels are known to be variable, unpredictable and hardly controllable.
The R2lab wireless testbed is built around an isolated and anechoic chamber, featuring RF absorbers preventing radio waves reflections and a Faraday cage blocking external interferences. This lab, named R2lab, represents an ideal environment for experiments reproducibility.
It represents a perfect facility for making wireless experiments reproducible. It has been operated for 3 years now, in the context of the FIT (Future Internet of Things) Equipment of Excellence project, and as such, it is now federated with the other testbeds that are part of the FIT initiative. This testbed is for the long-haul, and is scheduled to remain operational until at least 2020.
During 2018, our focus regarding R2lab has been set on enhancing the nepi-ng software toolkit, extending the set of tutorials and on deploying more network devices such as LoRa and Ettus USRP devices. The chamber now offers 19 USRP devices, as well as a couple of lime-sdr devices and a couple of E3372 LTE dongles. Moreover, two remotely controllable iphone are available. All these additions aim at widening even further the spectrum of experiments that the testbed can support.
Access to R2lab is open 24/7. We currently have around 150 active users from all over the world among them 45 new users registered in 2018. For more details see http://r2lab.inria.fr.