  Low-power wireless networks, especially in outside deployments, are exposed
to a wide range of temperatures. The detrimental effect of high temperatures on
communication quality is well known. To investigate these influences under
controlled conditions, we present HotBox, a solution with the following
properties: (1) It allows exposition of sensor motes to a wide range of
temperatures with a high degree of accuracy. (2) It supports specifying exact
spatial orientation of motes which, if not ensured, interferes with repeatable
experiment setups. (3) It is reasonably easy to assemble by following the
information (code, PCB schematics, hardware list and crafting instructions)
available online, facilitating further use of the platforms by other
researchers. After presenting HotBox, we will show its performance and prove
its feasibility as evaluation platform by conducting several experiments. These
experiments additionally provide further insight into the influence of
temperature effects on communication performance in low-power wireless
networks.
