UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - URBANA/CHAMPAIGN

Babbling Idiot
Design Review

Michael Driscoll, Rahul Mehta, Felipe Valverde

TA: Jim Kolodziej

2/20/2011

Table of Contents
1.

2.

3.

4.

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2
1.1

Benefits ......................................................................................................................... 2

1.2

Features ......................................................................................................................... 3

Design Overview .................................................................................................................... 3

2.1

Random Noise Generator (RNG) ................................................................................. 3

2.2

Analog/Digital Converter ............................................................................................. 5

2.3

USB Controller ............................................................................................................. 6

2.4

Industrial Networking Kit (INK) .................................................................................. 6

Verification ............................................................................................................................. 7
3.1

Testing Procedures ....................................................................................................... 7

3.2

Tolerance Analysis ....................................................................................................... 7

Cost & Schedule ..................................................................................................................... 8

4.1
4.1.1

Parts........................................................................................................................... 8

4.1.2

Labor ......................................................................................................................... 8

4.2
5.

Cost ............................................................................................................................... 8

Schedule........................................................................................................................ 9

Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 10

1. Introduction
Currently at Rolls Royce they use a centralized, controller topology for their control
systems. In order to improve the performance of the controller as well as the overall life
cycle cost and weight Rolls Royce is attempting to change to an Ethernet based
distributed system. However such a system would need to be put through many rigorous
tests as it would be responsible for accurate and precise readings on systems ranging from
jets to submarine engines. The control application we will be using uses low bandwidth
and would not need POWERLINK and IEE11588, because at low bandwidth
ETHERNET data is unlikely to collide. In the future Rolls-Royce will be designing
higher bandwidth designs using distributed control for this reason we needed to look into
making Ethernet deterministic, ie no collisions, hence the use of POWERLINK and
IEE1588. The test RR will be performing is a helicopter engine with low bandwidth
control. If RR did not have our work, ie the high bandwidth inputs in the system RR
would not really be able to tell if POWERLINK and IEE1588 are doing their job. So we
will provide one INK with high B/W input and RR will incorporate the IEE1588 and
POWERLINK S/W, this will determine that we have no collisions. The other high B/W
INK will not have IEE1588 and POWERLINK installed, what should happen is that the
system with the system ignores this data and continues to work correctly.

The Babbling Idiot is a design that will generate random information to insert into an
Ethernet connection. This information is essentially high bandwidth data inserted into
the Ethernet so that the original signal cannot be recovered. The goal of this device is to
provide a test box for designing a way to counter noise in an Ethernet control system. Our
design has to incorporate a high bandwidth between 1 and 10 Mb of noise into the
connection. This Ethernet is for high-end industrial applications such as airplane control
systems.

1.1 Benefits

Potential to disturb communication of the controller

1.2 Features

Provides high bandwidth onto Ethernet link

Ethernet

Reliable

User Friendly

2. Design Overview

Random Noise
Generator

Analog/Digital
Converter

USB Controller

INK

2.1 Random Noise Generator (RNG)

The main goal of this project is to generate 100 Mbs of data to test the validity of Ethernet in
industrial applications. To generate this data we created an inexpensive circuit that produces
white noise up to several hundred MHz. The circuit is based on the noise that is created upon
reaching the breakdown region of a Zener diode, due to the PN junction diode operating in
reverse breakdown mode. The circuit contains the Zener diode, which outputs from the
anode to two low noise amplifiers (LNA). The LNA is used to create a noise power of at
least 60 dBm, as without them the noise may not be detectable. Below is a plot of what the

circuit output should look like on a vector signal analyzer. The bottom curve is noise without
anything connected, the middle curve shows noise from the LNA with the diode off, and the
top curve is when the diode is operating at 60 mA in the breakdown region.

In the figure above, the bottom curve is the instrument noise floor (measured when
everything is OFF). The second curve from bottom is the noise output from the LNA when
the diode is OFF. The top 2 curves are noise output spectrum at 10mA and 60mA diode
current respectively.

2.2 Analog/Digital Converter

The purpose of this device is to receive the input from the random noise generator, and map
into a digital form. Since the RNG (Random Noise Generator) is based on the avalanche
noise generated by the diode, this signal will be in analog format. We need this to be in
digital form, so that the USB can correctly move this information into the INK board. The
specifications of the project say we need to input a high bandwidth into the Ethernet (10
100 MBs), which in fact needs to go through the USB first. Therefore we need a sampling
rate that can achieve this range. According to the Nyquist rate, we need to sample at twice
the bandwidth of the random noise, above 200 Ms. The A/D converter shown above is able to
achieve sampling rate of up to 1000 MSPS, which is more than enough to correctly sample
the noise received from the Gaussian noise generator.

2.3 USB Controller

Since we have to send our information from the Random Number Generator to the INK we
will use a USB controller to regulate the flow. USB can operate at 480 Mbit/s, more than
enough for our 10-20 Mbit/s. The ADC transmits the digital output serially which must be
converted to a format the USB protocol can understand.

2.4 Industrial Networking Kit (INK)

The INK Board allows us to transmit the high bandwidth data onto Ethernet. Also the whole
test system will be a series of INK boards containing the control laws and babbling idiots
allowing us to test our babbling idiot compared to Rolls Royces requirements. We will use
the INK board to convert our USB data to the Ethernet protocol for transmission.

3. Verification
3.1 Testing Procedures
The testing of the babbling idiot depends on the following processes: generation of the
random data, distribution of the data to the board, and then distributing to the control system.
The RNG will be tested by comparing its randomness with statistical tools, which is
elaborated on in Analysis. In order to test the ADC we will compare the output of the ADC
to its input on an oscilloscope and determine whether it is correctly converting a high signal
to a 1 and a low signal to a 0. We can test the USB interface by attaching a clock to it and
checking if we are getting the same clock signal on the output of the USB controller. As for
the Ethernet controller we can test this by comparing the output of the Ethernet to the input
of a sample on the USB and comparing if they are identical.

3.2 Tolerance Analysis

The Random Number Generator is the most critical component as it provides the large
bandwidth of data that will go into the control system. We will test this by using statistical
tools to test its randomness. A common tool utilized is the cross-correlation of the signal
with itself and detecting if they are any obvious patterns. If the resulting signal shows
patterns such as periodicity, then we know there was an error in the diode circuit. Once the
output is digitally converted via the ADC, this output is tested using the Hadamardtransform. Each of the output values are represented as +/- 1 is applied to Hadamardtransforms and whenever a values repeatedly fall outside the predetermined acceptance
range, it is determined that the generated random bits are insufficiently random.

4. Cost & Schedule

4.1 Cost
The total cost of our project is $37,767.75 as broken down below.

4.1.1 Parts
Altera Industrial Networking Kit
Ethernet Cables
USB Breakout Board
USB Cable
ASD5010 ADC
Maxim MAX2650 LNA
PCB Board
TOTAL COST

$ 795.00 (x2)
$ 5.00
$ 14.95
$ 5.00
$ 27.00
$ 1.00
$ 125.00
$ 1767.75

4.1.2 Labor
The cost of labor for his project is based on our goal of 20 hours per week for twelve weeks
of work at $50/hour per person. The total cost of labor is then $36,000.

4.2
Week
02/20/11

02/27/11

02/27/11
03/06/11
03/13/11
03/20/11
03/27/11
04/03/11
04/10/11
04/17/11
04/24/11
05/1/11

Schedule
Task
Design Review
Study INK Functionality
RNG Design
USB Controller Design
Study INK Functionality
Simulate RNG
USB Controller Interfacing
Buy Parts
Connect RNG to INK
Build RNG on Protoboard
Debug RNG
Debug Ethernet/INK Connection
Design and order PCB
Prepare for Mockups
Spring Break
Build system
Debug Setup
Debug Setup
Prepare for Demo
Demo
Prepare Presentation
Begin Final Report
Complete Final Report
Presentation

Person in Charge
Team
Michael Driscoll
Rahul Mehta
Felipe Alonso
MD
RM
FA
RM
MD
RM
RM
FA
RM
FA
MD
RM
FA
MD
RA
FA

5. Bibliography
"Building a Low-Cost White-Noise Generator - Maxim." Maxim/Dallas Semiconductor.
Web. 20 Feb. 2011. <http://www.maxim-ic.com/app-notes/index.mvp/id/3469>.
"Breakout Board for FT232RL USB to Serial - SparkFun Electronics." SparkFun
Electronics. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sparkfun.com/products/718>.
"ASD5010 Multi-Mode 8-bit 1000/500/250 MSPS Analog to Digital Converter with
Digital Gain." Asd Datasheet. Web.

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