Mote Runner

Say “Hello” to IBM Mote Runner!

Welcome to Mote Runner, IBM’s infrastructure platform for wireless sensor networks (WSN).

Mote Runner consists of two parts: a run time for mote-class hardware such as MEMSIC Iris motes, and a development environment for WSN applications.

The Mote Runner on-mote run-time platform is based on a virtual machine tailored from scratch for resource-constraint hardware environments. For this, it introduces a new byte-code language that, besides being compact and efficient, provides native support for reactive programming by means of delegates. Together with the run-time library built on top, Mote Runner provides a purely event-driven and thread-free programming model.

Blue ZThe development environment of Mote Runner consists a complete tool chain (i.e., converter, assembler, optimizer, shell) to develop mote applications in high-level object-oriented languages such as Java. It comes with its own IDE based on Eclipse as well as a mote and network simulation environment to ease application development and testing. A web-based deployment and monitoring framework in concert with an edge server finally allows the integration and visualization of Mote Runner sensor networks.

News

Mote Runner news items
Date Title
Mar 2013      IBM Mote Runner beta 11.0 New features:
  • 6LoWPAN
    The SDK ships with a partial sample implementation of 6LoWPAN (examples/6lowpan). It features a TDMA multi hop network protocol with tree management by the edge mote. A sample virtual IPv6 tunnel interface to exchange IPv6 packets with wireless motes is available for Linux and OSX.
  • IRIS
    Basic examples for the MDA100 and MTS300 sensor boards using the Mote Runner generic sensor APIs.
  • AVRRAVEN
    LCD can be operated as a device and used to display alphanumeric symbols and icons.
  • Changes
    The system (saguaro-system-11.0) and platform APIs have a new major number (11). Please remove old sxp files or increase the major number of your applications and recompile your code against the new APIs.
  • Bug fixes.
Aug 2012      IBM Mote Runner beta 9.0 New features:
  • Off-mote:
    • Netview: Follow the events of the Mote Runner system in the Netview similar to the Timeline, but in a 2-D space (access via the Launchpad).
    • New API documentation tool.
  • On-mote:
    • New generic device API for sensor drivers (GPIO, ADC, I2C, and UART) available using the mote-specific platform API.
    • Support for RZUSBSTICK for Mac and Linux as HID (human interface device).
    • The system API has a new major number (saguaro-system-9.0).
      Please remove old sxp files or increase the major number of your applications and recompile your code against the new APIs.
  • Documentation:
    • Access the documentation at 'http://localhost:5000/doc' after starting 'mrsh'.
    • New sample applications.
  • Bug fixes.
2 Apr 2012      IBM Mote Runner beta 8.2 Release Notes:
  • Additional Sonoran IO-related native APIs: fssek, rewind, ftell.
  • Bug fixes.
27 Mar 2012      IBM Mote Runner beta 8.1 Release Notes:
  • Re-enabled the Atmel AVRRaven simulation.
  • Bug fixes.
7 Mar 2012      IBM Mote Runner beta 8 Release Notes:
  • On-mote:
    • The simple device APIs have been replaced by more sophisticated APIs.
    • The radio APIs have been moved to the new generic communication device API.
  • Off-mote:
    • A new browser-based Launchpad has been added as the main entry page.
    • A new browser-based Timeline view has been added.
    • A new browser-based interactive shell has been added.
30 Aug 2011      New MoteRunner release (beta 5) available.
22 Jun 2011      IBM Mote Runner beta 4.0 contains the following:
  • Simulation: per mote configurable packet error rate (PER)
  • Simulation: clone motes
  • Firmware: experimental support for AVRRAVEN boards
  • System: slightly changed system API, new version is saguaro-system-5.0 (please remove old sxp files and recompile your code against the new API)
  • IDE: changed from standalone to an Eclipse feature which bundles Mote Runner development and distributed perspectives
  • Sonoran: API changes, for example feeder, timer, socket API; mrsh command changes
15 Dec 2010      IBM Mote Runner beta 3.0 is available on alphaworks :
  • New commands in the Mote Runner shell
  • Clock drift for simulated motes
  • Feeder framework for simulated sensor values
  • IDE: Distributed Debugger perspective
  • New examples: simulated power consumption (current tracing),
    hot-plugin sensor boards and simple and sophisticated data gathering
  • Hopi: support long messages
  • IRIS and RZUSBSTICK firmware included in the standard distribution
  • MDA100CB sensor board (light and temperature) drivers on IRIS
  • Video tutorial for installing the firmware on IRIS
16 Jul 2010      IBM Mote Runner SDK beta 2 is available on alphaworks . Please give it a try and don't forget to let us know what you think!

Back to top

Media coverage

YouTube