Resolution Improvement of Scanning Acoustic Microscopy Using Sparse Signal Representation

Scanning acoustic microscopy is an imaging method in which the focused high frequency ultrasound is used to visualize the micro structures. The morphology and acoustic properties of the biological tissues can be evaluated using scanning acoustic microscope system. To determine thin tissues having micrometer thickness, the high acoustic frequency is required for conventional SAM. In practice the acoustic frequency is restricted by the penetration depth through the material. Characterization of thin sliced tissue is difficult, as the reflected signals from top and bottom are superimposed. In order to improve the axial resolution of conventional SAM, a technique based on sparse signal representation in overcomplete time–frequency dictionaries is investigated and among the great number of algorithms for finding sparse representation, we first apply matching pursuit (MP) and basis pursuit (BP) and then propose the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) and stagewise orthogonal matching pursuit (StOMP) algorithms to decompose the A-scan signal to an overcomplete Gabor dictionary. Different criteria are used for measuring the performance of these algorithms in C-scan imaging. The proposed method can separate closely space overlapping echoes beyond the resolution of conventional SAM systems and also the final results show that StOMP performs best overall in extracting the specific echo, since this algorithm is precise and fast.     

The dual-edge alignment technique with improved spur reduction effects in ring oscillators

In this paper, the technique of dual-edge phase-alignment and its effects on ring oscillators are presented. This technique provides resetting of the built-up jitter at both rising and falling edges of a clean aligning signal named as the reference. Using signals and systems theory, the effect of the technique on the spurs due to the aligning reference signal is completely analyzed. We show that adding properly the dual-edge aligning feature to phase-aligned ring oscillators cause the spurs in the neighborhood of the carrier to disappear. First, the validity of the results obtained from the derived analytical equations is verified through simulations using MATLAB. Then a complete circuit considering realistic models for its components is simulated in TSMC RF CMOS 0.18um process using ADS for further validation.     

Genetic Algorithm for the Multiple-Query Optimization Problem

Producing answers to a set of queries with common tasks efficiently is known as the multiple-query optimization (MQO) problem. Each query can have several alternative evaluation plans, each with a different set of tasks. Therefore, the goal of MQO is to choose the right set of plans for queries which minimizes the total execution time by performing common tasks only once. Since MQO is an NP-hard problem, several, mostly heuristics based, solutions have been proposed for solving it. To the best of our knowledge, this correspondence is the first attempt to solve MQO using an evolutionary technique, genetic algorithms     

An 18-mW 2.5-GHz/900-MHz BiCMOS dual frequency synthesizer with<10-Hz RF carrier resolution

A 2.5-GHz/900-MHz dual fractional-N/integer-N frequency synthesizer is implemented in 0.35-μm 25-GHz BiCMOS. A ΔΣ fractional-N synthesizer is employed for RF channels to have agile switching, low in-band noise, and fine frequency resolution. Implementing two synthesizers with an on-chip ΔΣ modulator in a small package is challenging since the modulator induces substantial digital noise. In this work, several design aspects regarding noise coupling are considered. The fractional-N synthesizer offers less than 10-Hz frequency resolution having the in-band noise contribution of -88 dBc/Hz for 2.47-GHz output frequency and -98 dBc/Hz for 1.15-GHz output frequency, both measured at 20-kHz offset frequency. The prototype dual synthesizer consumes 18 mW with 2.6-V supply     

Low-loss high power RF switching using multifinger AlGaN/GaN MOSHFETs

We demonstrate a novel RF switch based on a multifinger AlGaN/GaN MOSHFET. Record high saturation current and breakdown voltage, extremely low gate leakage current and low gate capacitance of the III-N MOSHFETs make them excellent active elements for RF switching. Using a single element test circuit with 1-mm wide multifinger MOSHFET we achieved 0.27 dB insertion loss and more than 40 dB isolation. These parameters can be further improved by impedance matching and by using submicron gate devices. The maximum switching power extrapolated from the results for 1A/mm 100 /spl mu/m wide device exceeds 40 W for a 1-mm wide 2-A/mm MOSHFET.     

Compact WLAN disc antennas

A novel conical beam patch antenna design, suitable for local area network applications, uses a central cylindrical connection from the disc to ground to achieve a large reduction in resonant size. Results on efficiency, bandwidth, and pattern are reported for several prototypes.     

Accurate surface potential determination in Schottky diodes by use of correlated current and capacitance voltage measurements. Application to n–InP

Based on current voltage (I-V_g) and capacitance voltage (C-V_g) measurements, a reliable procedure is proposed to determine the effective surface potential V_d.V_g/ in Schottky diodes. In the framework of thermionic emission, our analysis includes both the effect of the series resistance and the ideality factor, even voltage dependent. This technique is applied to n-type indium phosphide (n-InP) Schottky diodes with and without an interfacial layer and allows us to provide an interpretation of the observed peak on the C-V_g measurements. The study clearly shows that the depletion width and the flat band barrier height deduced from C-V_g, which are important parameters directly related to the surface potential in the semiconductor, should be estimated within our approach to obtain more reliable information.     

13C CP/MAS NMR Spectroscopy of Native and Acid Modified Starches

¹³CP/MAS NMR spectroscopic studies of some starches from cereals (wheat, maize and finger millet), pulses (green gram, chick pea), tuber (potato) and root (tapioca), and their respective acid (HCI, HNO₃) modified starches were carried out. While cereal starches exhibited a triplet signal for their anomeric carbons, pulse, tuber and root starches showed doublets. Line width changes in signals indicated that debranching in the above modified starches led to narrowing of C₆ signals (more pronounced in the case of potato and tapioca starches) and were consistent with the release of branching strains. Potato starch, both native and modified, was found to be different from other starches as inferred from the chemical shift values for their anomeric carbons and line shape. The dihedral angle (ϕ′2) calculated from chemical shift values for C₁ and conformation of dihedral angel (x) as predicted from chemical shift of C₆ are discussed with respect to structural organization.     

Synthesis of artificial neural networks by transconductors only

Hardware implementation of artificial neural networks has been attracting great attention recently. In this work, the analog VLSI implementation of artificial neural networks by using only transconductors is presented. The signal flow graph approach is used in synthesis. The neural flow graph is defined. Synthesis of various neural network configurations by means of neural flow graph is described. The approach presented in this work is technology independent. This approach can be applied to new neural network topologies to be proposed or used with transconductors designed in future technologies.