An Overview of the NET Playground -- A Heterogeneous, Multi-Functional Network Test Bed

TL;DR

This paper describes the hardware and software components of the NET Playground, a versatile network test bed, providing detailed technical documentation and automation tools for replication.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive overview of hardware and software design, including automation and sensor integration, for a multi-functional network test bed.

Findings

Detailed hardware schematics and 3D views

Automation via shell scripts and Ansible

C++ framework for energy sensor integration

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the hardware and software components used in our test bed project the NET Playground. All source information is stored in the GitLab repository (https://gitlab.com/Paulteck/net-playground). In the Hardware section, we present sketches and 3D views of mechanical parts and technical drawings of printed boards. The Software section discusses relay control using shell scripts and the utilization of Ansible for automation. We also introduce a C++ framework for connecting with the INA231 energy sensor. This paper serves as a reference for understanding and replicating our project's hardware and software components.