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Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Assembly and Characterization of an External Driver for the Generation of Sub-Kilohertz Oscillatory Flow in Microchannels
Published on: January 28, 2022
Communication by means of modulated Johnson noise
Zerina Kapetanovic1, Miguel Morales2, Joshua R Smith1,3
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.
Abstract:
We present the design of a passive wireless communication method that does not rely on ambient or generated RF sources. Instead, the method modulates the Johnson (thermal) noise of a resistor to transmit information bits wirelessly. By selectively connecting or disconnecting a matched resistor to an antenna, the system can achieve data rates of up to 26 bps and distances of up to 7.3 m. This communication method operates at very low power, similar to that of an RFID tag, with the advantage of not requiring a preexisting RF signal to reflect.
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