Novel Scheme for Joint Estimation of SNR, Doppler, and Carrier Frequency Offset in Double-Selective Wireless Channels

As receiver performance will be degraded by carrier frequency offset (CFO), Doppler shift, and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a novel estimator that jointly considers CFO, Doppler shift, and SNR is proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithm uses the Fourier transform (FT) to calculate the power spectral density of time-varying channels through channel estimates. Then, a new periodogram technique is utilized to estimate CFO, Doppler shift, and SNR together. Unlike conventional methods in sinusoid estimation, which rely on the peak-value search of a periodogram, this paper exploits the hypothesis test to address the random frequency modulation of time-varying channels. Furthermore, to optimize estimation performance, a theoretical analysis is also provided on the influences of some key parameters, e.g., the length of the signal processed with fast FT , the amplitude threshold value, the SNR dynamic range, and the velocity dynamic range. Correspondingly, the appropriate key parameters are chosen according to this analysis and are validated by simulations. The results are consistent with our analysis and present high accuracy over a wide range of velocities and SNRs.      

Message Scheduling for the FlexRay Protocol: The Static Segment

In recent years, time-triggered communication protocols have been developed to support time-critical applications for in-vehicle communication. In this respect, the FlexRay protocol is likely to become the de facto standard. In this paper, we investigate the scheduling problem of periodic signals in the static segment of FlexRay. We identify and solve two subproblems and introduce associated performance metrics: 1) The signals have to be packed into equal-size messages to obey the restrictions of the FlexRay protocol, while using as little bandwidth as possible. To this end, we formulate a nonlinear integer programming (NIP) problem to maximize bandwidth utilization. Furthermore, we employ the restrictions of the FlexRay protocol to decompose the NIP and compute the optimal message set efficiently. 2) A message schedule has to be determined such that the periodic messages are transmitted with minimum jitter. For this purpose, we propose an appropriate software architecture and derive an integer linear programming (ILP) problem that both minimizes the jitter and the bandwidth allocation. A case study based on a benchmark signal set illustrates our results.      

Unequal Error Protection: An Information-Theoretic Perspective

An information-theoretic framework for unequal error protection is developed in terms of the exponential error bounds. The fundamental difference between the bit-wise and message-wise unequal error protection ( UEP) is demonstrated, for fixed-length block codes on discrete memoryless channels (DMCs) without feedback. Effect of feedback is investigated via variable-length block codes. It is shown that, feedback results in a significant improvement in both bit-wise and message-wise UEPs (except the single message case for missed detection). The distinction between false-alarm and missed-detection formalizations for message-wise UEP is also considered. All results presented are at rates close to capacity.      

Dynamically Configurable Bus Topologies for High-Performance On-Chip Communication

The on-chip communication architecture is a primary determinant of overall performance in complex system-on-chip (SoC) designs. Since the communication requirements of SoC components can vary significantly over time, communication architectures that dynamically detect and adapt to such variations can substantially improve system performance. In this paper, we propose Flexbus, a new architecture that can efficiently adapt the logical connectivity of the communication architecture and the components connected to it. Flexbus achieves this by dynamically controlling both the communication architecture topology, as well as the mapping of SoC components to the communication architecture. This is achieved through new dynamic bridge by-pass, and component remapping techniques. In this paper, we introduce these techniques, describe how they can be realized within modern on-chip buses, and discuss policies for run-time reconfiguration of Flexbus-based architectures.      

Noncoherent Synchronization of UWB-IR Multiple-Antenna Multipath Channels

This paper deals with the maximum-likelihood (ML) noncoherent data-aided (e.g., no blind) synchronization of multiple-antenna ultrawideband impulse-radio (UWB-IR) terminals that operate over broadband channels and are affected by multipath fading with a priori unknown number of paths and path-gain statistics. The synchronizer that we developed achieves the ML data-aided joint estimate of the number of paths and their arrival times (e.g., time delays), without requiring any a priori knowledge and/or a posteriori estimate of the amplitude (e.g., module and sign) of the channel gains. The ultimate performance of the proposed synchronizer is evaluated (in closed form) by developing the corresponding CramÉr–Rao bound (CRB), and the analytical conditions for achieving this bound are provided. The performance gain for the synchronization accuracy of multipath-affected UWB-IR signals arising from the exploitation of the multiple-antenna paradigm is (analytically) evaluated. Furthermore, a low-cost sequential implementation of the proposed synchronizer is detailed. It requires an all-analog front-end circuitry composed of a bank of sliding-window correlators, whose number is fully independent from the number of paths comprising the underlying multiple-antenna channel. Finally, the actual performance of the proposed synchronizer is numerically tested under both the signal acquisition and tracking operating conditions.      

Design and Analysis of Isolated Noise-Tolerant (INT) Technique in Dynamic CMOS Circuits

Along with the progress of advanced VLSI technology, noise issues in dynamic circuits have become an imperative design challenge. The twin-transistor design is the current state-of-the-art design to enhance the noise immunity in dynamic CMOS circuits. To achieve the high noise-tolerant capability, in this paper, we propose a new isolated noise-tolerant (INT) technique which is a mechanism to isolate noise tolerant circuits from noise interference. Simulation results show that the proposed 8-bit INT Manchester adder can achieve 1.66$times$ average noise threshold energy (ANTE) improvement. In addition, it can save 34% power delay product (PDP) in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environments as compared with the 8-bit twin-transistor Manchester adder under TSMC 0.18-$mu$ m process.      

High-Performance Low-Power Selective Precharge Schemes for Address Decoders

Two novel address decoder schemes using selective precharging are presented and analyzed in this paper. These schemes, the and–nor and sense amplifier (Sense-Amp) decoders, are compared to the nor decoder using 90-nm CMOS technology. The Sense-Amp decoder dissipates between 29.5% and 50.1% and the and–nor decoder dissipates between 73.7% and 104.4% of the energy dissipated by the nor decoder. The delay of the Sense-Amp decoder is 69.2% and the delay of the and–nor decoder is 80.8% of the nor decoder delay.      

A Novel Discrete Dimming Ballast for Linear Fluorescent Lamps

A novel discrete dimming ballast for linear fluorescent lamps is proposed in this paper. A proposed dimming control circuit is combined with a ballast module for multiple lamps to realize control of three discrete lighting levels. Compared with conventional step dimming or on– off control methods, the proposed discrete dimming method has the following advantages: 1) digital signal is generated by the dimming control circuit to control the lamps' turn- on and -off, which makes the system more reliable and integrated; 2) the proposed discrete dimming system replaces relays, which are necessary in conventional lamp on–off control, and therefore decreases the system cost; 3) the proposed dimming ballast can be installed by keeping the original wiring system. This makes the upgrading of a lighting system more effective and efficient; 4) the dimming control circuit also provides a good isolation for operating the low-voltage wall switches by hand safely. Both theoretical, simulation, and experimental results are in good agreement.      

Using Hidden Markov Models in Vehicular Crash Detection

This paper presents a system for automotive crash detection based on hidden Markov models (HMMs). The crash pulse library used for training comprises a number of head-on and oblique angular crash events involving rigid and offset deformable barriers. Stochastic distribution characteristics of crash signals are validated to ensure conformity with the modeling assumptions. This step is achieved by analyzing the quantile–quantile (Q–Q) plot of actual pulses against the assumed bivariate Gaussian distribution. HMM parameters are next induced by utilizing the expectation–maximization (EM) procedure. The search for an optimal crash pulse model proceeds using the “leave-one-out” technique with the exploration encompassing both fully connected and left–right HMM topologies. The optimal crash pulse architecture is identified as a seven-state left–right HMM with its parameters computed using real and computer-aided engineering (CAE)-generated data. The system described in the paper has the following advantages. First, it is fast and can accurately detect crashes within 6 ms. Second, its implementation is simple and uses only two sensors, which makes it less vulnerable to failures, considering the overall simplicity of interconnects. Finally, it represents a general and modularized algorithm that can be adapted to any vehicle line and readily extended to use additional sensors.      

Efficient FPGA Realization of CORDIC With Application to Robotic Exploration

We present an area-efficient method and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) realization for two common operations in robotics, namely, the following: 1) rotating a vector in 2-D and 2) aligning a vector in the plane with a specific axis. It is based on a new coordinate rotation digital computer (CORDIC) algorithm that is designed to work with a small set of elementary angles. Unlike conventional CORDIC, the proposed algorithm does not require a ROM and a full-fledged barrel shifter. The proposed CORDIC algorithm is used to design hardware-efficient solutions for two mobile robotic tasks in an indoor environment without employing division and floating-point calculations. Experiments with a sole low-end FPGA-based robot in static as well as dynamic environments validate the power of the approach.      

Single-Exclusion Number and the Stopping Redundancy of MDS Codes

For a linear block code ${cal C}$, its stopping redundancy is defined as the smallest number of check nodes in a Tanner graph for ${cal C}$, such that there exist no stopping sets of size smaller than the minimum distance of ${cal C}{bf .},$ Schwartz and Vardy conjectured that the stopping redundancy of a maximum-distance separable (MDS) code should only depend on its length and minimum distance.      

Buffered Cross-Bar Switches, Revisited: Design Steps, Proofs and Simulations Towards Optimal Rate and Minimum Buffer Memory

Regarding the packet-switching problem, we prove that the weighed max-min fair service rates comprise the unique Nash equilibrium point of a strategic game, specifically a throughput auction based on a “least-demanding first-served” principle. We prove that a buffered crossbar switch can converge to this equilibrium with no pre-computation or internal acceleration, with either randomized or deterministic schedulers, (the latter with a minimum buffering of a single-packet per crosspoint). Finally, we present various simulation results that corroborate and extend our analysis.      

Distributed Throughput Maximization in Wireless Mesh Networks via Pre-Partitioning

This paper considers the interaction between channel assignment and distributed scheduling in multi-channel multi-radio Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs). Recently, a number of distributed scheduling algorithms for wireless networks have emerged. Due to their distributed operation, these algorithms can achieve only a fraction of the maximum possible throughput. As an alternative to increasing the throughput fraction by designing new algorithms, we present a novel approach that takes advantage of the inherent multi-radio capability of WMNs. We show that this capability can enable partitioning of the network into subnetworks in which simple distributed scheduling algorithms can achieve 100% throughput. The partitioning is based on the notion of Local Pooling. Using this notion, we characterize topologies in which 100% throughput can be achieved distributedly. These topologies are used in order to develop a number of centralized channel assignment algorithms that are based on a matroid intersection algorithm. These algorithms pre-partition a network in a manner that not only expands the capacity regions of the subnetworks but also allows distributed algorithms to achieve these capacity regions. We evaluate the performance of the algorithms via simulation and show that they significantly increase the distributedly achievable capacity region. We note that while the identified topologies are of general interference graphs, the partitioning algorithms are designed for networks with primary interference constraints.      

Universal Lossless Compression of Erased Symbols

A source ${mmb X}$ goes through an erasure channel whose output is ${mmb Z}$. The goal is to compress losslessly ${mmb X}$ when the compressor knows ${mmb X}$ and ${mmb Z}$ and the decompressor knows ${mmb Z}$. We propose a universal algorithm based on context-tree weighting (CTW), parameterized by a memory-length parameter $ell$. We show that if the erasure channel is stationary and memoryless, and ${mmb X}$ is stationary and ergodic, then the proposed algorithm achieves a compression rate of $H(X_0vert X_{-ell}^{-1}, Z^ell)$ bits per erasure.      

Large-Scale Network Parameter Configuration Using an On-Line Simulation Framework

As the Internet infrastructure grows to support a variety of services, its legacy protocols are being overloaded with new functions such as traffic engineering. Today, operators engineer such capabilities through clever, but manual parameter tuning. In this paper, we propose a back-end support tool for large-scale parameter configuration that is based on efficient parameter state space search techniques and on-line simulation. The framework is useful when the network protocol performance is sensitive to its parameter settings, and its performance can be reasonably modeled in simulation. In particular, our system imports the network topology, relevant protocol models and latest monitored traffic patterns into a simulation that runs on-line in a network operations center (NOC). Each simulation evaluates the network performance for a particular setting of protocol parameters. We propose an efficient large-dimensional parameter state space search technique called “recursive random search (RRS).” Each sample point chosen by RRS results in a single simulation. An important feature of this framework is its flexibility: it allows arbitrary choices in terms of the simulation engines used (e.g., ns-2, SSFnet), network protocols to be simulated (e.g., OSPF, BGP), and in the specification of the optimization objectives. We demonstrate the flexibility and relevance of this framework in three scenarios: joint tuning of the RED buffer management parameters at multiple bottlenecks, traffic engineering using OSPF link weight tuning, and outbound load-balancing of traffic at peering/transit points using BGP LOCAL_PREF parameter.      

Robust Precoder Adaptation for MIMO Links With Noisy Limited Feedback

In this paper, we propose two robust limited feedback designs for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) adaptation. The first scheme, namely, the combined design jointly optimizes the adaptation, CSIT (channel state information at the transmitter) feedback as well as index assignment strategies. The second scheme, namely, the decoupled design, focuses on the index assignment problem given an error-free limited feedback design. Simulation results show that the proposed framework has significant capacity gain compared to the naive design (designed assuming there is no feedback error). Furthermore, for large number of feedback bits $C_{rm fb}$, we show that under two-nearest constellation feedback channel assumption, the MIMO capacity loss (due to noisy feedback) of the proposed robust design scales like ${cal O}(P_e2^{-{{C_{rm fb}}over{t+1}}})$ for some positive integer $t$. Hence, the penalty due to noisy limited feedback in the proposed robust design approaches zero as $C_{rm fb}$ increases.      

Normally On/Off Integrated Latching Acceleration Switch With Controlled Fracture Beams and Independent Multicontact

This letter reports an acceleration latching switch with integrated normally on/off paths. The normally on path, formed by notched beams connected in series, will be broken and latched to reach the open state when the acceleration exceeds the threshold. A multicontact is adopted for the normally off path, while both paths are mechanically separated from the proof mass to prevent them from the impact of the proof mass at the latched state. Experimental results show that the latching shock is 10 000 G, and the response time is about 0.1 ms. The normally on path has an on-state resistance of 4.0 $Omega$ and an allowable current of 200 mA, whereas the normally off path has an on-state resistance of 3.8 $Omega$ and a maximum current of 140 mA.      

Site-Specific Knowledge and Interference Measurement for Improving Frequency Allocations in Wireless Networks

We present new frequency allocation schemes for wireless networks and show that they outperform all other published work. Two categories of schemes are presented: 1) those purely based on measurements and 2) those that use site-specific knowledge, which refers to knowledge of building layouts, the locations and electrical properties of access points (APs), users, and physical objects. In our site-specific knowledge-based algorithms, a central network controller communicates with all APs and has site-specific knowledge so that it can a priori predict the received power from any transmitter to any receiver. Optimal frequency assignments are based on predicted powers to minimize interference and maximize throughput. In our measurement-based algorithms, clients periodically report in situ interference measurements to their associated APs; then, the APs' frequency allocations are adjusted based on the reported measurements. Unlike other work, we minimize interference seen by both users and APs, use a physical model rather than a binary model for interference, and mitigate the impact of rogue interference. Our algorithms consistently yield high throughput gains, irrespective of the network topology, AP activity level, number of APs, rogue interferers, and available channels. Our algorithms outperform the best published work by 18.5%, 97.6%, and 1180% for median, 25th percentile, and 15th percentile user throughputs, respectively.      

Logarithmic Sobolev Inequalities for Information Measures

For $alphageq 1$, the new Vajda-type information measure ${bf J}_{alpha}(X)$ is a quantity generalizing Fisher's information (FI), to which it is reduced for $alpha=2$ . In this paper, a corresponding generalized entropy power ${bf N}_{alpha}(X)$ is introduced, and the inequality ${bf N}_{alpha}(X) {bf J}_{alpha}(X)geq n$ is proved, which is reduced to the well-known inequality of Stam for $alpha=2$. The cases of equality are also determined. Furthermore, the Blachman–Stam inequality for the FI of convolutions is generalized for the Vajda information ${bf J}_{alpha}(X)$ and both families of results in the context of measure of information are discussed. That is, logarithmic Sobolev inequalities (LSIs) are written in terms of new more general entropy-type information measure, and therefore, new information inequalities are arisen. This generalization for special cases yields to the well known information measures and relative bounds.      

On the Values of Kloosterman Sums

Given a prime $p$ and a positive integer $n$ , we show that the shifted Kloosterman sums $$sum _{x in BBF _{p^{n}}} psi (x + ax^{p^{n}-2}) = sum _{xin BBF _{p^{n}}^{ast }} psi(x + ax^{-1}) + 1, quad a inBBF _{p^{n}}^{ast }$$ where $psi$ is a nontrivial additive character of a finite field $BBF _{p^{n}}$ of $p^{n}$ elements, do not vanish if $a$ belongs to a small subfield $BBF_{p^{m}} subseteq BBF _{p^{n}}$. This complements recent results of P. Charpin and G. Gong which in turn were motivated by some applications to bent functions.