Ultra-low power RF chip using backscatter technology and existing Wi-fi network - QC-556

Project type: Research
Desired discipline(s): Engineering - computer / electrical, Engineering, Engineering - other
Company: HaiLa Technologies Inc
Project Length: Longer than 1 year
Preferred start date: 05/01/2022
Language requirement: English
Location(s): Montreal, QC, Canada; Canada; Canada
No. of positions: 3
Desired education level: Postdoctoral fellow
Open to applicants registered at an institution outside of Canada: Yes

About the company: 

HaiLa is a fabless semiconductor IoT company headquartered in Montreal, founded in 2017 at the deep tech incubator TandemLaunch. HaiLa envisions a world with billions of sensors that connect and monitor machines, living spaces, and environments to help decision-makers reduce waste and increase efficiency. Our mission is to enable the widespread adoption of IoT by reducing the power and cost of deployment through the leveraging of backscatter communication of existing RF infrastructure. We are adapting this ultra-low-power RF technology to Wi-fi first with the goal to deliver ultra low power connectivity to every industry and globally reduce our carbon footprint and the waste that comes from batteries.

Describe the project.: 

HaiLa has designed and built a system that enables wireless communication over existing protocols using backscatter technology. Our tag reflects the standard Wi-fi signal (TX) using RF switching techniques such that sensor data is embedded into it. The signal is reflected on a different frequency to avoid interference and is received by a Wi-fi device (RX) that includes HaiLa software to extract the tag data.

Our v1 chip was received in August 2021 and our first demo kit including ASIC and FPGA on custom board was delivered to a partner for customer evaluation in December 2021. The project will focus on engineering for the v2 version of our chip, which is underway.

The candidates will work with our technology leaders to improve the performance and reliability of power consumption, range, and interoperability of the technology.

Required expertise/skills: 

• RF design
• Mixed signal
• Embedded systems
• Low power wireless communication
• Familiarity with PCB design, oscilloscope, and logic analyzers is a plus
• Skillful in python and bash scripting
• The ideal candidate would be able to maintain a physical presence in Montreal but candidates from the other locations are encouraged to apply