Jean-Michel Friedt

K-RLE: A New Data Compression Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Network

In the context of the use of Wireless Sensor Network technology for environmental monitoring, the two main elementary activities of Wireless Sensor Network are data acquisition and transmission. However, transmitting/receiving data are power consuming task. In order to reduce transmission-associated power consumption, we explore data compression by processing information locally. In this article, we evaluate and compare compression algorithms on an ultra-low power microcontroller from Texas Instrument within the MSP430 series used for designing Wireless Sensor Network. We propose and evaluate a new data compression algorithm inspired from Run Length Encoding called K-RLE.

Simultaneous atomic force microscope and quartz crystal microbalance measurements: Investigation of human plasma fibrinogen adsorption

We have combined the tapping-mode atomic force microscope (AFM) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for simultaneous investigation of human plasma fibrinogen adsorption on a metallic surface using these two instruments. The AFM images show the surface changes with molecular resolution while the corresponding resonance frequency shift of the QCM provides quantitative adsorbed mass estimates over the whole sensing area. The combination of AFM with QCM allowing the simultaneous measurements with two techniques working at very different scales and probing different properties of the adsorbed layer provides quantitative and qualitative information that can distinguish different protein adsorption mechanisms.

High-frequency surface acoustic waves excited on thin-oriented LiNbO/sub 3/ single-crystal layers transferred onto silicon

The need for high-frequency, wide-band filters has instigated many developments based on combining thin piezoelectric films and high acoustic velocity materials (sapphire, diamond-like carbon, silicon, etc.) to ease the manufacture of devices operating above 2 GHz. In the present work, a technological process has been developed to achieve thin-oriented, single-crystal lithium niobate (LiNbO3) layers deposited on (100) silicon wafers for the fabrication of radio-frequency (RF) surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The use of such oriented thin films is expected to favor large coupling coefficients together with a good control of the layer properties, enabling one to chose the best combination of layer orientation to optimize the device. A theoretical analysis of the elastic wave assumed to propagate on such a combination of material is first exposed. Technological aspects then are described briefly. Experimental results are presented and compared to the state of art

Surface acoustic wave devices as passive buried sensors

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are currently used as passive remote-controlled sensors for measuring various physical quantities through a wireless link. Among the two main classes of designs—resonator and delay line—the former has the advantage of providing narrow-band spectrum informations and hence appears compatible with an interrogation strategy complying with Industry-Scientific-Medical regulations in radio-frequency (rf) bands centered around 434, 866, or 915 MHz. Delay-line based sensors require larger bandwidths as they consists of a few interdigitated electrodes excited by short rf pulses with large instantaneous energy and short response delays but is compatible with existing equipment such as ground penetrating radar (GPR). We here demonstrate the measurement of temperature using the two configurations, particularly for long term monitoring using sensors buried in soil. Although we have demonstrated long term stability and robustness of packaged resonators and signal to noise ratio compat...

In-plane rigid-body vibration mode characterization with a nanometer resolution by stroboscopic imaging of a microstructured pattern

This article introduces an improved approach for the characterization of in-plane rigid-body vibration, based on digital processing of stroboscopic images of the moving part. The method involves a sample preparation step, in order to pattern a periodic microstructure on the vibrating device, for instance, by focused ion beam milling. An image processing method has then been developed to perform the optimum reconstruction of this a priori known object feature. In-plane displacement and rotation are deduced simultaneously with a high resolution (10-2 pixel and 0.5 x 10(-3) rad, respectively). The measurement principle combines phase measurements-that provide the high resolution-with correlation-that unwraps the phase with the proper phase constants. The vibration modes of a tuning fork are used for demonstrating the capabilities of the method. For applications allowing the sample preparation, the proposed methodology is more convenient than common interference methods or image processing techniques for the characterization of the vibration modes, even for amplitudes in the nanometer range.

Deriving ice thickness, glacier volume and bedrock morphology of the Austre Lovénbreen (Svalbard) using Ground-penetrating Radar

The Austre Lovenbreen is a 4.6 km2 glacier on the Archipelago of Svalbard (79°N) that has been surveyed over the last 47 years in order of monitoring in particular the glacier evolution and associated hydrological phenomena in the context of nowadays global warming. A three-week field survey over April 2010 allowed for the acquisition of a dense mesh of Ground-penetrating Radar (GPR) data with an average of 14683 points per km2 (67542 points total) on the glacier surface. The profiles were acquired using a Mala equipment with 100 MHz antennas, towed slowly enough to record on average every 0.3 m, a trace long enough to sound down to 189 m of ice. One profile was repeated with 50 MHz antenna to improve electromagnetic wave propagation depth in scattering media observed in the cirques closest to the slopes. The GPR was coupled to a GPS system to position traces. Each profile has been manually edited using standard GPR data processing including migration, to pick the reflection arrival time from the ice-bedrock interface. Snow cover was evaluated through 42 snow drilling measurements regularly spaced to cover all the glacier. These data were acquired at the time of the GPR survey and subsequently spatially interpolated using ordinary kriging. Using a snow velocity of 0.22 m/ns, the snow thickness was converted to electromagnetic wave travel-times and subtracted from the picked travel-times to the ice-bedrock interface. The resulting travel-times were converted to ice thickness using a velocity of 0.17 m/ns. The velocity uncertainty is discussed from a common mid-point profile analysis. A total of 67542 georeferenced data points with GPR-derived ice thicknesses, in addition to a glacier boundary line derived from satellite images taken during summer, were interpolated over the entire glacier surface using kriging with a 10 m grid size. Some uncertainty analysis were carried on and we calculated an averaged ice thickness of 76 m and a maximum depth of 164 m with a relative error of 11.9%. The volume of the glacier is derived as 0.3487±0.041 km3. Finally a 10-m grid map of the bedrock topography was derived by subtracting the ice thicknesses from a dual-frequency GPS-derived digital elevation model of the surface. These two datasets are the first step for modelling thermal evolution of the glacier and its bedrock, as well as the main hydrological network.

Simultaneous surface acoustic wave and surface plasmon resonance measurements: Electrodeposition and biological interactions monitoring

We present results from an instrument combining surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagation and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements. The objective is to use two independent methods, the former based on adsorbed mass change measurements and the latter on surface dielectric properties variations, to identify physical properties of protein layers, and more specically their water content. We display mass sensitivity calibration curves using electrodeposition of copper leading to a sensitivity in liquid of 15015 cm2=g for the Love mode device used here, and the application to monitoring biological processes. The extraction of protein layer thickness and protein to water content ratio is also presented for S-layer proteins under investigation. We obtain respectively 4.70.7 nm and 7515%.

Combined atomic force microscope and acoustic wave devices: Application to electrodeposition

We present a combination of acoustic wave based sensors with scanning probe microscopy as a tool for better understanding the interaction of the former with the surrounding viscous medium when used for detection of analytes in liquids. Simultaneous analysis of the gold coated sensing surface with an atomic force microscope and monitoring changes in the acoustic propagation properties during copper electrodeposition provides a mean of correlating observations on the nanometer and millimeter scales. We find that the frequency shift of the quartz crystal microbalance is predominantly attributed to viscous effects in the lower mass range (below 1 μg/cm2 copper electrodeposition) and only becomes representative of the added rigid mass in the higher mass range. We observe that the sensitivity of surface acoustic wave Love-mode devices appears constant over the whole mass range analyzed (0.5–10 μg/cm2), indicating a rigid layer interaction leading to a frequency shift representative of the deposited mass.

Simultaneous AFM and QCM Measurements Methodology Validation Using Electrodeposition

We assess the validity and advantages of using a quartz crystal microbalance ~QCM! as the metallic-coated substrate used for atomic force microscopy ~AFM! measurements by studying two well-known electrochemical reactions, silver electrodeposition on gold and copper electrodeposition on gold. We compare the results provided by electrochemistry ~cyclic voltammetry!, QCM frequency, and damping variations as well as AFM topography, and analyze the advantages of combining the three methods in the same instrument. Comparison of the evolution of the frequency of the third and fifth QCM overtones allows identification of the type of interaction between the sensing electrode and its environment: a rigid layer when the frequency shift is proportional to the overtone number, viscous interaction when the frequency shift is proportional to the square root of the overtone number. This identification scheme leads to results confirmed by the QCM damping.

Simultaneous atomic force microscope and quartz crystal microbalance measurements - Interactions and displacement field of a quartz crystal microbalance

We analyze the interaction of two instruments often used in material science analysis, the atomic force microscope (AFM) and the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), here combined in a single instrument for simultaneous measurements on a single sample. We show, using finite element analysis, that the in-plane displacement of a QCM oscillating in liquid with a quality factor of 2000 is 2 nm. The out-of-plane displacement is about one tenth of the in-plane displacement. This latter effect, due to the finite size of the electrodes, results in longitudinal acoustic waves launched in the liquid surrounding the QCM. If bounced against an obstacle, in our case the AFM cantilever holder, these longitudinal waves create standing wave patterns which cause frequency fluctuations of the resonator when it is moved, and thus decrease the QCM sensitivity.