xref: /openwifi/doc/app_notes/csi.md (revision 5deb8d18f6d13bc809afd5109593e0982888373c)
1We extend the **CSI** (Channel State Information) to **CSI** (Chip State Information)!
2
3## Quick start
4- Power on the SDR board.
5- Connect a computer to the SDR board via Ethernet cable. The computer should have static IP 192.168.10.1. Open a terminal on the computer, and then in the terminal:
6  ```
7  ssh [email protected]
8  (password: openwifi)
9  cd openwifi
10  ./wgd.sh
11  (Wait for the script completed)
12  ./monitor_ch.sh sdr0 11
13  (Monitor on channel 11. You can change 11 to other channel that is busy)
14  insmod side_ch.ko
15  ./side_ch_ctl g
16  ```
17  You should see on board outputs like:
18  ```
19  loop 64 side info count 61
20  loop 128 side info count 99
21  ...
22  ```
23  If the second number (61, 99, ...) is not zero and keeps increasing, that means the CSI (Chip State Information) is going to the computer smoothly.
24
25- Open another terminal on the computer, and run:
26  ```
27  cd openwifi/user_space/side_ch_ctl_src
28  python3 side_info_display.py
29  ```
30  The python script needs "matplotlib.pyplot" and "numpy" packages installed. Now you should see 3 figures showing run-time **frequency offset**, **channel state/response** and **constellation form equalizer**. Meanwhile the python script prints the **timestamp**.
31
32  While running, all informations are also stored into a file **side_info.txt**. A matlab script **test_side_info_file_display.m** is offered to help you do analysis on the Chip State Information offline.
33
34## Understand the CSI feature
35  The CSI information is extracted via the openwifi **side channel** infrastructure. This figure explains the related modules (also related source code file name) and how the information goes from the SDR board to the computer.
36  ![](./csi-architecture.jpg)
37
38  The CSI information format is shown in this figure.
39  ![](./csi-information-format.jpg)
40
41  For each element, the actual size is 64bit.
42  - timestamp: 64bit TSF timer value, which is the same timestamp value shown by other sniffer software, like tcpdump, wireshark or openwifi printing in dmesg.
43  - freq_offset: Only the 1st 16bit is used.
44  - csi (channel state/response) and equalizer: Only the first two 16bit are used for I/Q of channel response and equalizer output. The remaining two 16bit are reserved for future multi-antenna cases.
45
46  The python and Matlab scripts are recommended for you to understand the CSI packet format precisely.
47
48## Config the capture condition and interval
49  The quick start guide will monitor all CSI informations of all packets decoded by the WiFi ofdm receiver. To monitor only specific packets that match the specific conditions: FC (Frame Control), addr1 (target MAC address), addr2 (source MAC address), configuration command should be issued before executing "**side_ch_ctl g**". The configuration command is realized by feeding a different parameter to "**side_ch_ctl**".
50
51  A quick example: Capture only CSI of those packets from the device with MAC address 56:5b:01:ec:e2:8f
52  ```
53  ./side_ch_ctl wh1h4001
54  ./side_ch_ctl wh7h01ece28f
55  (01ece28f are the last 32 bits of MAC address 56:5b:01:ec:e2:8f)
56  ./side_ch_ctl g
57  ```
58  The parameter string format is explained in detail:
59  ```
60  whXhY
61  ```
62  The X is the register index, and the Y is the value in hex format. The remaining "w", "h" and "h" should be kept untouched.
63  - To turn on conditional capture, X should be 1. For Y: bit11~bit0 should be 001(hex), bit12: on/off of FC match, bit13: on/off of addr1 match, bit14 : on/off of addr2 match. Examples:
64  ```
65  Turn on FC only match:
66  ./side_ch_ctl wh1h1001
67  (1001 is the value in hex format)
68  Turn on addr2 (source address) only match:
69  ./side_ch_ctl wh1h4001
70
71  Turn on both FC and addr1 (target address) match:
72  ./side_ch_ctl wh1h3001
73
74  Turn off conditional capture (all packets will be captured):
75  ./side_ch_ctl wh1h0001
76  ```
77  - To specify the condition matching target (when that type of match is turned on by above command):
78  ```
79  Specify the FC matching target:
80  ./side_ch_ctl wh5hY
81  (Y is the FC value in hex format)
82  Specify the addr1 (target address) matching target:
83  ./side_ch_ctl wh6hY
84
85  Specify the addr2 (source address) matching target:
86  ./side_ch_ctl wh7hY
87  (Y is the MAC address in hex format. Only the last 32 bits are needed. Example: for 56:5b:01:ec:e2:8f, 01ece28f should be input.)
88  ```
89  The command "**side_ch_ctl g**" will perform CSI capture every 100ms until you press ctrl+C. To use a different capture interval:
90  ```
91  side_ch_ctl gN
92  ```
93  The interval will become N*1ms
94
95## Config the num_eq
96  The num_eq (number of equalizer output) is configurable in case you don't need so many equalizer informations. The valid value is 0~8. You should align the num_eq value at the side_ch.ko, side_info_display.py and test_side_info_file_display.m.
97  - When insert the kernel module, use:
98  ```
99  insmod side_ch.ko num_eq_init=3
100  ```
101  You can replace 3 by number 0~8. (8 is the default value. You don't need to specify it like in the Quick start section)
102  - When launch the python script, use:
103  ```
104  side_info_display.py 3
105  ```
106  - When use the Matlab script, please change the num_eq variable in the script to 3 (3 is just an example).
107
108## Compile the side channel driver and user space program
109  - side_ch.ko
110  ```
111  $OPENWIFI_DIR/driver/side_ch/make_driver.sh $OPENWIFI_DIR $XILINX_DIR ARCH_BIT
112(For Zynq 7000, ARCH_BIT should be 32, for Zynq MPSoC, ARCH_BIT should be 64)
113  ```
114  - side_ch_ctl (take user_space/side_ch_ctl_src/side_ch_ctl.c and compile it on board!)
115  ```
116  gcc -o side_ch_ctl side_ch_ctl.c
117  ```
118
119## Run the CSI together with modes other than monitor
120  The openwifi CSI feature could run with not only monitor mode but also other modes, such as AP-Client or ad-hoc mode. After the communication functionality is fully up in those modes, you can start CSI feature from "**insmod side_ch.ko**" and "**./side_ch_ctl g**" on board as described in the previous sections to extract CSI to your computer.
121
122## Map the CSI information to the WiFi packet
123  If you want to relate the CSI information to the WiFi packet, you need to capture WiFi packets (tcpdump/wireshark/etc) while capturing CSI. Then you can match the timestamp (TSF timer value) between WiFi packet and CSI information, because this is the unique same identity of a Wifi packet and related CSI information.
124
125  Please learn the python and Matlab script to extract CSI information per packet according to your requirement.
126