FPGA-based embedded system for ultrasonic positioning

This paper presents an FPGA-based ultrasonic location system. This system uses low-cost FPGAs and ultrasonic transducers to provide 3-D location to mobile nodes in an indoor environment. Synchronization is reached using the radiofrequency transducers that mobile nodes usually include. FPGAs have been used to sample ultrasonics and radiofrequency inside a custom peripheral which is attached to a MicroBlaze soft-processor. The calculus of the position of the mobile node is accomplished inside this processor.