Varactor-Tuned Dual-Band Quadrature Hybrid Coupler

A tunable dual-band quadrature hybrid coupler for mobile GSM bands (900 and 1800MHz) is proposed and characterized. The structure is composed of four quarter-wavelength sections at a frequency located between the two operating frequencies and two pairs of open-ended stubs. Frequency tuning is achieved by modifying the electrical length of the open-ended stubs with varactor-diode capacitors. A dual-band tunability of 33% and 10% is obtained for the first and the second bands, respectively     

Certain nonlinear partially observable stochastic optimal controlproblems with explicit control laws equivalent to LEQG/LQG problems

This paper is concerned with partially observed stochastic optimal control problems when nonlinearities enter the dynamics of the unobservable state and the observations as gradients of potential functions. Explicit representations for the information state are derived in terms of a finite number of sufficient statistics. Consequently, the partially observed problem is recast as one of complete information with a new state generated by a modified version of the Kalman filter. When the terminal cost is quadratic in the unobservable state and includes the integral of the nonlinearities, the optimal control laws are explicitly computed, similar to linear-exponential-quadratic-Gaussian (LEQG) and linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) tracking problems. The results are applicable to filtering and control of Hamiltonian systems     

Incremental transmission loss allocation under pool dispatch

Incremental transmission loss analysis has been used for decades, but recent interest in its application to loss allocation calls for new in-depth results. This paper demonstrates that, for incremental methods to be applied correctly in loss allocation, it is first necessary to specify the load distribution and loss supply strategies. Incremental loss allocation among bus power injections is shown to be arbitrary and, therefore, open to challenge as discriminatory. Loss allocation is possible among incremental loads and/or generators, but the proportion of the total losses assigned to either one is arbitrary. Unique, nonarbitrary incremental loss allocations are however possible among the "equivalent" incremental bilateral exchanges between generators and loads. From these basic components it is possible then to calculate the allocation among generators or loads in any specified proportion. The main results, although developed initially for small increments, are extended to large variations. Finally, a general incremental loss allocation algorithm is developed and tested     

Workplane illuminance prediction method for daylighting control systems

A new prediction method with an interior light sensor for the workplane illuminance in daylighting control systems is introduced. Based on radiosity theory, the spatial distributions of daylight and electric light in the space are discussed and the prediction method is developed. An experimental verification of the technique is performed in an outdoor test-room for a double-glazed window system with a motorized venetian blind integrated between the two glazings. Electric light and daylight predictions were performed in accordance with the proposed method. The results showed that the electric light workplane illuminance can be predicted with high accuracy (±5 lux error with a linear correlation) and that the daylight workplane illuminance can be predicted within ±20 lux (with a linear correlation) for any sky conditions (overcast, clear sky, or variable) with the window system controlled to prevent direct daylight transmission. This method is useful for integrated control of motorized daylighting devices and dimmable electric lights.     

A novel fiber-optic pressure sensor operated at 1300-nm wavelength

In this paper, we discuss a particular topology of a fiber-optic pressure transducer, developed recently at the Laboratory of the Photonics Research Center, University of Quebec en Outaouais. The sensor, which is an extension of our previous polarimetric configuration, was designed to operate using typical telecommunications components at the wavelength of 1300 nm. The pressure sensor is temperature compensated in an innovative way and has no polarizer between the LD and the sensor. The absolute accuracy of this sensor can be less than 1% in a wide range of temperatures, and including all types of metrological errors such as hysteresis and unrepeatability.     

DMET: a computer package for the design of digital microwaveline-of-sight communication routes

The computer-aided design software package DMET (Digital Microwave Engineering Tool), which has been developed to meet the needs of the telecommunication engineering community involved in the design of line-of-sight digital microwave communication routes, is described. DMET can be used either by professionals or engineering students in such a way that efforts can be concentrated on the design objectives of the link rather than on cumbersome and tedious computations. This software package is particularly useful as a tool in teaching communication engineering students the basic practical steps involved in the design of line-of-sight radio communication links. Examples of antenna height computation and radio link budget computation using DMET are presented     

Cable insulation density profile determined from ultrasonicvelocity measurements

Density results obtained on the same cable sample with a column and from ultrasonic measurements are reported. A calibration curve relating ultrasonic velocity and cable insulation density is given for PE and crosslinked PE (XLPE) cables. The limits and advantages of deducing density profiles of cable insulation using a focused, ultrasound beam rather than the more time-consuming column measurements are discussed     

Towards a generalized TLM algorithm for solving arbitraryreciprocal and nonreciprocal planar structures

A generalized transmission line matrix (TLM) algorithm is developed in the frequency domain to tackle arbitrary both reciprocal and nonreciprocal anisotropic waveguiding problems. In particular, the modeling issue for arbitrary planar structures is stressed in this work. A new three-dimensional (3-D) condensed node is used to consider the effect of both electric and magnetic constitutive tensors. Various results indicate how the modal dispersive behavior can be manipulated by changing not only the anisotropic characteristics of the substrate, but also the strip/slot geometry as well as the magnitude and orientation of the applied static magnetic field. The present algorithm is useful for CAD and simulation of a large class of gyrotropic waveguide-based microwave and millimeter-wave circuits     

Learning long-term dependencies with gradient descent is difficult

Recurrent neural networks can be used to map input sequences to output sequences, such as for recognition, production or prediction problems. However, practical difficulties have been reported in training recurrent neural networks to perform tasks in which the temporal contingencies present in the input/output sequences span long intervals. We show why gradient based learning algorithms face an increasingly difficult problem as the duration of the dependencies to be captured increases. These results expose a trade-off between efficient learning by gradient descent and latching on information for long periods. Based on an understanding of this problem, alternatives to standard gradient descent are considered.