BATS is a proprietary communication technology developed by n-hop technologies. The core of the technology is an advanced network coding scheme running on a piece of hardware called the BATS box. The application of BATS to wireless multi-hop networks can greatly enhance the throughput of such networks.
System Architecture Example
A system consisting of a chain of WiFi-linked nodes called BATS boxes and a set of backend server(s).
Products:
A. BATS box
- Include BATS network communication protocol.
- Include BATS encoder, recoder, and decoder.
- Include hardware and software monitoring agents.
B. Backend server
- Optional decoder module
- Monitoring system
- Registration system
- Licensing and authentication system
Detailed description
A. BATS box hardware highlight (refer to product HW spec)
- Intel Quad core Atom CPU
- Fanless design
- 8GB RAM
- 16GB SSD storage
- USB 2.0 (ext)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Dual 802.11n/ac 5.8GHz WiFi cards
- Include two directional antennas (hor. +/- 30o, vert. +/- 15 o)
- Support IP65
- Linux based operating system with hardening
A1. BATS communication protocol
- Featured in a multi-hop WiFi network.
- End point(s) connected to a fixed or mobile network.
- Use WiFi 802.11n/ac communication standard.
- Use 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz unlicensed ISM band.
- Pre-defined network topology linking.
- Automatic link hop-over when communication fails or a node down.
- Bi-directional data routing.
- Support WiFi AP sharing.
A2. BATS encoder/recoder/decoder software
- Encoder: encodes the data from the data source. The data source can be from Ethernet, USB device, or from a local node.
- Recoder: runs at intermediate nodes to relay traffic from the WiFi trunk.
- Decoder: generates the source data and sends them to a destination such as the client of an AP for WiFi sharing.
A3. BATS Box hardware and software monitoring agent
- Hardware watchdog: can be programmed based on the monitoring interval and trigger a power cycle.
- Software monitoring agent: sends monitor system parameters such as CPU utilization, WiFi signal strength, process healthiness, etc.
B1. Backend server – decoder module
- Source data decoded at the backend instead of at the node.
- Recommended for high traffic.
B2. Backend server – Monitoring system
- Web interface to present the system data collected from the agent at the nodes.
- A dashboard to provide an overview of the system.
- Device list view to show the status and details of each node.
- Alert list to show the abnormality of the nodes.
- Map view to show the geographic location of the nodes.
B3. Backend server – Registration system
- Keep an inventory of the nodes.
- Maintain the nodes by keeping the system images and configurations.
B4. Licensing and Authentication system
- Periodically check and authenticate the nodes to prevent unauthorized use of the system.
Deployment options:
- BATS boxes: a) 1-50 nodes, b) 51-200 nodes, c) 200 nodes or above
- Backend server: a) 1-50 nodes, b) 51-200 nodes, c) 200 nodes or above
* Consultancy service for deployment available.
Notes on BATS box: The length of each WiFi chain (with remote access) and the
aggregated WiFi bandwidth per chain are recommended to be less than 20 and
80Mbps, respectively.
Notes on backend server:
| Deployment option | a | b | c |
| Chassis | 19” rackmount | 19” rackmount | 19” server farm |
| CPU | Xeon 2.0GHz above | Xeon 3.0GHz above | Xeon 3.0GHz above |
| RAM | 16GB | 32GB | 32GB+ |
| Storage | 240GB SSD | 240×2(sys) + nTB(data) | 240×2(sys) +nTB(data) |
| Gigabit ethernet | 1 | 2+ | 2+ |
Option 1: with decoding capability
Option 2: without decoding capability