A Secure Wireless Interface between Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

1. A Secure Wireless Interface between Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) Team Dec02-07 Client: Motorola 

2. Team Dec02-07 Team Members: Michael Hale, Polk City, IA David Inman, Tabor, IA Jeremy Kohlhaas, Algona, IA Hassan Rashid, Pakistan Faculty Advisors: Dr. James Davis Dr. Douglas Jacobson

3. Topics to be Discussed Project background Technical problems Hardware design Software design Additional considerations Assumptions Limitations Measurable milestones Testing Financial budget Personnel effort budget Current status

4. Project Background 2 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) 3 Motorola TalkAbout two-way radios Wireless transfer of information Security of all transmissions

5. PDA: Handspring Visor Deluxe • Weight: 5.4 oz • Memory: 8 MB • 1 Serial port • 1 Infrared port • Cradle for attachment to PC

6. Motorola TalkAbout Radios • Model T6310 • 14 UHF frequencies • Interference/ eavesdropping reduction • 1 accessory jack • Signal strength indicator

7. Technical Problems Hardware design Software design Additional considerations Maximization of data rates Security

8. Hardware Design • Problem: Design and produce 2 copies of an interface to connect each PDA to a TalkAbout radio • Keep unit cost below $20 • Items needed to design this interface: • Pinout of PDA serial port • TalkAbout radio interface • Circuitry to link the two devices • Test models will be hand-built

9. Pinout of PDA Serial Port

10. TalkAbout Radio Interface • Our group has been unsuccessful in obtaining these specifications from Motorola. • As a result, we have changed the focus of our hardware design to utilize the accessory port available on each TalkAbout radio.

11. Software Design • Software requirements • User interface and PalmOS integration • Virtual connection management • Programming tool • Metrowerks CodeWarrior

12. Additional Considerations As time permits, the following issues will be added or improved: • Maximization of data rates • Security of information transfer • Cost of hardware production

13. Assumptions • Motorola will provide the following • 3 TalkAbout radios • Metrowerks CodeWarrior software • Fabrication of custom hardware • All other major project expenses will be paid for by ECpE • Specifications for the PDA’s serial connector and the TalkAbout’s interface will be obtainable

14. Assumptions (cont.) • Only two TalkAbout radios will be involved in a communication session at any given time • The maximum cable length between each PDA/TalkAbout setup will not be an issue

15. Limitations • Implementation of the project cannot extend beyond December 2002 • The TalkAbout radios can only operate up to 2 miles apart from each other • All components must be lightweight • Interface hardware should not exceed $20 • The PDA/TalkAbout interface should use available ports or simple connections

16. Measurable Milestones • Design • Hardware fabrication • Software development • Security • Testing • Demonstration • Documentation

17. Testing • Unit testing • Hardware • Review hardware interface design • Software • Considered successful if a person can operate the user interface to establish a connection and transmit data • System testing • Establish connections • Test security • Maximize data throughput

18. Financial Budget * Costs covered by Motorola ** Costs covered by Metrowerks

19. Personnel Effort Budget

20. Current Status • Hardware design • Waited a significant amount of time to receive TalkAbout specifications from Motorola • Have recently changed the focus to utilize the TalkAbout’s accessory port instead • This port has a known, standardized interface • Hardware design will begin immediately • Software development research is starting • Continual monitoring of completion date

21. Questions Go Cyclones ? BEAT IOWA