Blind equalization - case of an unknown symbol period

We address the problem of estimating blindly a linearly modulated sequence of unknown rate transmitted over an unknown frequency selective channel. We achieve the goal by extending the concept of deconvolution to a cyclo-stationary context and present a generic class of functionals, the minimization of which achieves the equalization. This defines estimates of the symbol rate: by construction, they are insensitive to a lack of excess bandwidth, bestowing a clear advantage on them over the estimates of the literature.     

A single-chip tuner for DVB-T

A new architecture is presented for a single-chip tuner for digital terrestrial television, based on existing double conversion and direct conversion topologies. The new design forms part of a mixed-signal Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) receiver system, employing digital signal processing at baseband to ensure minimal performance requirements for the analog circuitry. To evaluate the potential performance of this new tuner/receiver system, high-level system simulations have been performed, followed by the construction of a prototype DVB-T receiver using a custom-designed analog ASIC which integrates all analog tuner blocks (including channel filtering) on one chip. Measured results from this chip, implemented in a 20-GHz bipolar technology, show an overall third-order input referred intercept point of 116 dB/spl mu/V, a noise figure of 14 dB and an automatic gain control range of 71.4 dB, drawing 250 mA at a 5-V supply.     

Complex amplitude estimation in the known steering matrix and generalized waveform case

We consider a special growth-curve (SGC) model with a known steering matrix and generalized waveform in the presence of unknown interference and noise. Several estimators of the complex amplitude based on this model are derived, including the methods of approximate maximum likelihood (AML), minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR), and amplitude and phase estimation (APES). We analyze the statistical properties of these estimators and show that in the presence of temporally white but spatially correlated noise and interference, AML is asymptotically statistically efficient for a large snapshot number while MVDR and APES are asymptotically equivalent but not statistically efficient. Via several numerical examples, we also show that when the noise and interference are both spatially and temporally correlated, the APES estimator can achieve better estimation accuracy and exhibit greater robustness than the other methods.     

Analysis and Optimization of the Energy Efficiency in the 802.11 DCF

This paper introduces an analytical model to investigate the energy efficiency of the IEEE 802.11 distributed coordinated function (DCF). This model not only accounts for the number of contending nodes, the contention window, but also the packet size, and the channel condition. Based on this model, we identify the tradeoff in choosing optimum parameters to optimize the energy efficiency of DCF in the error-prone environment. The effects of contention window and packet size on the energy efficiency are examined and compared for both DCF basic scheme and DCF with four-way handshaking. The maximum energy efficiency can be obtained by combining both the optimal packet size and optimal contention window. To validate our analysis, we have done extensive simulations in ns-2, and simulation results seem to match well with the presented analytical results. The Ohio Board of Regents Doctoral Enhancements Funds and the National Science Foundation under Grant CCR 0113361 have supported this work. Xiaodong Wang received his B.S. degree in communication engineering from Beijing Information Technical Institute of China in 1995, and his M.S. degree in electric engineering from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics of China in 1998. He joined China Telecom in 1998 where he worked on communication protocols for telecommunication. From June 2000 to July 2002, he worked on GSM base station software development at Bell-labs China, Beijing, China. Currently he is a Ph.D. student in Computer Engineering at University of Cincinnati. His research activities include wireless MAC protocols, energy saving for wireless sensor networks. He is a student member of the IEEE. Jun Yin received the BS degree in automatic control from Dalian Railway Institute of China in 1997, and the MS degree in flight control from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics of China in 2001. Since 2001 she has been a Ph.D. student in the OBR Research Center for Distributed and Mobile Computing at the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include performance evaluation of 802.11 MAC protocol, wireless ad hoc networks and sensor networks. She is a student member of the IEEE. Dharma P.Agrawal IEEE Fellow, 1987; ACM Fellow, 1998; AAAS Fellow, 2003 Dr. Agrawal is the Ohio Board of Regents Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, OH. He has been a faculty member at Wayne State University, (1977–1982) and North Carolina State University (1982–1998). He has been a consultant to the General Dynamics Land Systems Division, Battelle, Inc., and the U. S. Army. He has held visiting appointment at AIRMICS, Atlanta, GA, and the AT&T Advanced Communications Laboratory, Whippany, NJ. He has published a number of papers in the areas of Parallel System Architecture, Multi computer Networks, Routing Techniques, Parallelism Detection and Scheduling Techniques, Reliability of Real-Time Distributed Systems, Modeling of C-MOS Circuits, and Computer Arithmetic. His recent research interest includes energy efficient routing, information retrieval, and secured communication in ad hoc and sensor networks, effective handoff handling and multicasting in integrated wireless networks, interference analysis in piconets and routing in scatternet, use of smart directional antennas (multibeam) for enhanced QoS, Scheduling of periodic real-time applications and automatic load balancing in heterogeneous workstation environment. He has four approved patents and three patent filings in the area of wireless cellular networks.     

Orthogonal space-time block codes: maximum likelihood detection for unknown channels and unstructured interferences

Space-time coding (STC) schemes for communication systems employing multiple transmit and receive antennas have been attracting increased attention. The so-called orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs) have been of particular interest due to their good performance and low decoding complexity. In this paper, we take a systematic maximum-likelihood (ML) approach to the decoding of OSTBC for unknown propagation channels and unknown noise and interference conditions. We derive a low-complexity ML decoding algorithm based on cyclic minimization and assisted by a minimum amount of training data. Furthermore, we discuss the design of optimal training sequences and optimal information transfer to an outer decoder. Numerical examples demonstrate the performance of our algorithm.     

QMTool: an XML-based management platform for QoS-aware IP networks

Technological and human factors have contributed to the increasing complexity of the network management problem. Heterogeneity and globalization of network resources have, on one hand, increased user expectations for flexible and easy-to-use environments and, on the other, propounded entirely novel ways to face the management problem. Several research efforts recognize the need for integrated solutions to manage both network resources and services in open and global environments. Undoubtedly, these solutions should permit the coexistence of different management models and should interoperate with legacy systems. The presented management system, QoS management tool (QMTool), aspires to address the heterogeneity, complexity, and dynamic behavior of QoS-enabled IP networks by taking advantage of the optimum fit of a number of novel technologies. A layered framework architecture, including element, network management, and visualization service, is provided, and a high level of information abstraction in network configuration and monitoring is introduced mainly based on the capabilities of the Extensible Markup Language (XML). Moreover, the functional components for providing (re-)configuration, fault management monitoring, and network visualization facilities are also presented, followed by notes of implementation issues.     

Digital watermarking robust to geometric distortions.

In this paper, we present two watermarking approaches that are robust to geometric distortions. The first approach is based on image normalization, in which both watermark embedding and extraction are carried out with respect to an image normalized to meet a set of predefined moment criteria. We propose a new normalization procedure, which is invariant to affine transform attacks. The resulting watermarking scheme is suitable for public watermarking applications, where the original image is not available for watermark extraction. The second approach is based on a watermark resynchronization scheme aimed to alleviate the effects of random bending attacks. In this scheme, a deformable mesh is used to correct the distortion caused by the attack. The watermark is then extracted from the corrected image. In contrast to the first scheme, the latter is suitable for private watermarking applications, where the original image is necessary for watermark detection. In both schemes, we employ a direct-sequence code division multiple access approach to embed a multibit watermark in the discrete cosine transform domain of the image. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed watermarking schemes are robust to a wide range of geometric attacks.     

Feature of the magnetotransport of a quasi-one-dimensional electrons on the superfluid helium

The magnetotransport in a nondegenerate quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) electron system over superfluid helium has been investigated experimentally. The measurements are performed in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field B up to 2.6 T in the temperature range T=0.48–2.05 K in the system of conducting channels of 100–400 nm width. It is shown that the value of longitudinal magnetoresistance ρ_xx increases with B. In the electron-gas scattering region (T>0.9 ), the behaviour of ρ_xx agrees with classical Drude law. In the quantum transport regime, the self-consistent Born approximation (SCBA) theory for a 2D electron system over liquid helium describes the experimental data qualitatively. The deviation due to the difference of the experimentally studied Q1D system of the electrons in a parabolic potential well differs from theoretically analysed one. The experimental data agree with the theoretical calculation for the Q1D electron system at the weak magnetic field and the low temperature.

The negative magnetoresistance of the conducting channels has been observed in both the gas- and the ripplon-scattering region. These effects have been explained by weak carrier localization on the gas atoms at high temperature and by display of the quantum magnetotransport features in a mesoscopic system at low temperature.     

Simple approach to analysis of switched-capacitor circuits with nonideal op-amps

A possible method for the simulation of nonideal op-amps with a finite gain and bandwidth by means of an equivalent SC circuit, containing ideal components, is presented. The approach is extended by the case of an op-amp with non-switched input SC building blocks.