Performance evaluation of input and output queueing techniques inATM switching systems

Modeling alternatives for a fast packet switching system are analyzed. A nonblocking switch fabric that runs at the same speed as the input/output links is considered. The performance of the considered approaches are derived by theoretical analysis and computer simulations. Performance comparison between input queueing approaches with different selection policies are presented. Novel input and output queueing techniques are also proposed. In particular it is shown that, depending on the implementation, the input queueing approach studied in this paper achieves the same performance as the optimum (output) queueing alternative, without resorting to a faster packet switch fabric     

Comparison of nonlinear pulse interactions in 160-Gb/s quasi-linear and dispersion managed soliton systems

The understanding and development of 160-Gb/s transmission systems requires the study of the impact of different dispersion compensation schemes on pulse propagation in nonlinear fiber. In this paper, we present an investigation of 160-Gb/s optical transmission systems, focusing on optimal propagation regimes, and in particular, we analyze different transmission limitations and dominant nonlinear effects by comparing quasi-linear and dispersion managed soliton systems. Two quasi-linear systems, one using nonzero dispersion-shifted fiber (NZDSF) and the other single-mode fiber (SMF), and one short-period (1 km) dispersion managed soliton (DMS) system are studied, both for single-channel and wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) transmission. First, the performance of the two quasi-linear systems in single-channel transmission are compared and it is shown that the NZDSF and SMF systems allow similar error-free transmission distances with only small differences in the intrachannel four-wave mixing (IFWM) induced amplitude jitter. The effect of pulsewidth on transmission performance in this regime was investigated and the use of shorter pulses was found to result in lower amplitude jitter. We analyzed the behavior of the DMS system and showed that the reduced pulse broadening during transmission allowed a significantly longer single-channel transmission distance with a smaller impact of nonlinearities compared to quasi-linear propagation. The sensitivity of the DMS system performance to statistical fluctuations in the fiber dispersion was studied and the results show the level of accuracy in the dispersion management map which must be ensured in these systems. Finally, the performance of the DMS in WDM transmission was investigated and it was found that it was subject to very large penalties increasing the minimum channel spacing possible because of the strong impact of interchannel cross-phase modulation (XPM).     

Off-state breakdown in power pHEMTs: the impact of the source

Conventional wisdom suggests that in pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors (pHEMTs), the field between the drain and the gate determines off-state breakdown, and that the drain to gate voltage therefore sets the breakdown voltage of the device. Thus, the two terminal breakdown voltage is a widely used figure of merit, and most models for breakdown focus on the depletion region in the gate-drain gap, while altogether ignoring the source. We present extensive new measurements and simulations that demonstrate that for power pHEMTs, the electrostatic interaction of the source seriously degrades the device's gate-drain breakdown. We identify the key aspect ratio that controls the effect, L_G:x_D where L_G is the gate length and x_D is the depletion region length on the drain. This work establishes that the design of the source must be taken into consideration in the engineering of high-power pHEMT's     

Design of IIR eigenfilters in the frequency domain

The eigenfilter approach is an appealing way of designing digital filters, mainly because of the simplicity of its implementation. In this correspondence, a new method of applying the eigenfilter approach to the design of infinite impulse response (IIR) filters is described. The procedure works in the frequency domain and yields the coefficients of a causal rational transfer function having an arbitrary number of poles and zeros. Some examples of filter design are given to show the effectiveness of the method presented     

Medical Positron Imaging with a Dense Drift Space MultiWire Proportional Chamber

A multiplanar positron camera is proposed, made of six MWPC modules, arranged to form the lateral surface of a hexagonal prism. Each 50 x 50 cm(2) module has a single MWPC sandwiched by two 2-cm thick lead glass tube converters. The experimental results for a 15 x 15 cm(2) test module are reported. For 511 keV gamma-rays incident almost perpendicular onto a 1.0-cm thick converter, a detection efficiency of 4.3%, a time resolution of 130 ns (FWHM) and a spatial resolution of 2.8 mm (FWHM) have been measured with a standard Argon-Methane (70-30) mixture at 1.2 atm. The chamber may also be operated in high resolution mode: 1.2-mm (FWHM) spatial resolution has been measured at a 50% lower efficiency. The use of fast delay lines (specific delay 8 ns/cm) for the position read-out ensures a high rate capability. The expected performance of the six-module MWPC camera is discussed and compared with that of a BGO crystal ring camera. The MWPC solution seems very attractive not only for its low cost and simplicity of construction, but also for its fully three-dimensional imaging capability.     

Reconstructing the 3D shape and bone mineral density distribution of the proximal femur from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

The accurate diagnosis of osteoporosis has gained increasing importance due to the aging of our society. Areal bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is an established criterion in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. This measure, however, is limited by its two-dimensionality. This work presents a method to reconstruct both the 3D bone shape and 3D BMD distribution of the proximal femur from a single DXA image used in clinical routine. A statistical model of the combined shape and BMD distribution is presented, together with a method for its construction from a set of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scans. A reconstruction is acquired in an intensity based 3D-2D registration process whereby an instance of the model is found that maximizes the similarity between its projection and the DXA image. Reconstruction experiments were performed on the DXA images of 30 subjects, with a model constructed from a database of QCT scans of 85 subjects. The accuracy was evaluated by comparing the reconstructions with the same subject QCT scans. The method presented here can potentially improve the diagnosis of osteoporosis and fracture risk assessment from the low radiation dose and low cost DXA devices currently used in clinical routine.     

A cascaded sigma-delta pipeline A/D converter with 1.25 MHz signalbandwidth and 89 dB SNR

A low-noise multibit sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architecture suitable for operation at low oversampling ratios is presented. The ADC architecture uses an efficient high-resolution pipelined quantizer while avoiding loop stability degradation caused by pipeline latency. A 16-b implementation of the architecture, fabricated in a 0.6-μm CMOS process, cascades a second-order 5-b sigma-delta modulator with a four-stage 12-b pipelined ADC and operates at a low 8X oversampling ratio. Static and dynamic linearity of the integrated ADC are improved through the use of dynamic element matching techniques and the use of bootstrapped and clock-boosted input switches. The ADC operates at a 20 MHz clock rate and dissipates 550 mW with a 5 V/3 V analog/digital supply. It achieves an SNR of 89 dB over a 1.25-MHz signal bandwidth and a total harmonic distortion (THD) of -98 dB with a 100-kHz input signal     

Integrated automotive sensors

Focuses on automotive applications and discusses the development of a suite of integrated radar and IR sensors that can be used to surround a vehicle (car, truck, boat, etc.). The primary function is to provide information to the vehicle systems and operator as enhancements to passenger and vehicle safety. It may also provide vehicle information (speed, location, destination, etc.) and integrate information (weather, road/traffic conditions, service/rest-area location, route details, etc.) from an intelligent vehicle highway system     

Emulation-based transient thermal modeling of 2D/3D systems-on-chip with active cooling

State-of-the-art devices in the consumer electronics market are relying more and more on Multi-Processor Systems-On-Chip (MPSoCs) as an efficient solution to meet their multiple design constrains, such as low cost, low power consumption, high performance and short time-to-market. In fact, as technology scales down, logic density and power density increase, generating hot spots that seriously affect the MPSoC performance and can physically damage the final system behavior. Moreover, forthcoming three-dimensional (3D) MPSoCs can achieve higher system integration density, but the aforementioned thermal problems are seriously aggravated. Thus, new thermal exploration tools are needed to study the temperature variation effects inside 3D MPSoCs. In this paper, we present a novel approach for fast transient thermal modeling and analysis of 3D MPSoCs with active (liquid) cooling solutions, while capturing the hardware-software interaction. In order to preserve both accuracy and speed, we propose a close-loop framework that combines the use of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to emulate the hardware components of 2D/3D MPSoC platforms with a highly optimized thermal simulator, which uses an RC-based linear thermal model to analyze the liquid flow. The proposed framework offers speed-ups of more than three orders of magnitude when compared to cycle-accurate 3D MPSoC thermal simulators. Thus, this approach enables MPSoC designers to validate different hardware- and software-based 3D thermal management policies in real-time, and while running real-life applications, including liquid cooling injection control.     

CMOS-Compatible Room-Temperature Rectifier Toward Terahertz Radiation Detection

In this paper, we present a new rectifying device, compatible with the technology of CMOS image sensors, suitable for implementing a direct-conversion detector operating at room temperature for operation at up to terahertz frequencies. The rectifying device can be obtained by introducing some simple modifications of the charge-storage well in conventional CMOS integrated circuits, making the proposed solution easy to integrate with the existing imaging systems. The rectifying device is combined with the different elements of the detector, composed of a 3D high-performance antenna and a charge-storage well. In particular, its position just below the edge of the 3D antenna takes maximum advantage of the high electric field concentrated by the antenna itself. In addition, the proposed structure ensures the integrity of the charge-storage well of the detector. In the structure, it is not necessary to use very scaled and costly technological nodes, since the CMOS transistor only provides the necessary integrated readout electronics. On-wafer measurements of RF characteristics of the designed junction are reported and discussed. The overall performances of the entire detector in terms of noise equivalent power (NEP) are evaluated by combining low-frequency measurements of the rectifier with numerical simulations of the 3D antenna and the semiconductor structure at 1 THz, allowing prediction of the achievable NEP.