Reconfigurable Architecture for Deinterlacer based on Algorithm/Architecture Co-Design

This paper presents the algorithm and reconfigurable architecture of motion-adaptive deinterlacer for high-definition video. The content-adaptability of algorithm and the reconfiguration of architecture are concurrently explored by algorithm/architecture co-design methodology and Caltrop actor language (CAL) modeling of the dataflow. In the design methodology we employed, the CAL dataflow model is also very helpful in the verification of our deinerlacer. The proposed algorithm and architecture design of deinterlacer is more cost-efficient than two recently proposed works in terms of algorithmic performance and silicon area of VLSI implementation. Moreover, data path reconfiguration efficiently enables various interpolation schemes using less computational resource of hardware than non-reconfigurable architecture.     

Surface alloying of magnesium and AZ91 by thermochemical treatment in a medium containing zinc chloride and potassium chloride

Surface layers enriched with zinc were formed on pure magnesium and AZ91 alloy by heating the specimens in contact with paste containing zinc chloride and potassium chloride at 440 °C for 2 h, using no protective atmosphere. The study involved determining the microstructure, phase composition and microhardness of the resulting layers. During the layer formation process, a transient liquid phase occurred at the substrate/paste interface. The layers fabricated on both substrates were about 200 μm in thickness and they were metallurgically bonded to the substrate material. The same process conditions were used for both types of substrates. From the experimental data it is clear that the layer fabricated on magnesium differed in microstructure from that formed on AZ91. The alloyed layer on magnesium was characterised by dendrites of a solid solution of zinc in magnesium surrounded by a lamellar eutectoid structure composed of an MgZn intermetallic phase and a solid solution of zinc in magnesium. In the layer formed on AZ91, aluminium was detected in all the structural constituents. The layer was composed of a solid solution of zinc and aluminium in magnesium and Mg₁₇(Al, Zn)₁₂ and Mg₅Al₂Zn₂ intermetallic phases. The alloyed layers had much higher hardness than the substrate materials.     

Parallel frequency tracking with built-in performance evaluation

The problem of estimation of instantaneous frequency of a nonstationary complex sinusoid (cisoid) buried in wideband noise is considered. The proposed approach employs a bank of adaptive notch filters, extended with a nontrivial performance assessment mechanism which automatically chooses the best performing filter in the bank. Additionally, a computationally attractive method of implementing the bank is proposed. The new structure allows one to improve tracking results considerably, especially in nonstationary conditions. In terms of accuracy of frequency estimates, the proposed scheme outperforms existing ones considerably.     

Study of the repeatability of the magnetic joint in the probes used in coordinate measuring machines

The article proposes an approach to the study of the positioning repeatability of the magnetic joint in the probes used in coordinate measuring machines. Also presented will be the results of experimental research into some of the most successful probes that support manual and automatic stylus changing: VAST Gold (Zeiss), VAST XXT (Zeiss), and TP20 (Renishaw).     

Elastodynamics of functionally graded laminates with interlaminar microdefects

Functionally graded materials are composites whose effective characteristics are smooth functions of the space variables. We propose a mathematical mode of these materials and apply it to the analysis of the influence of interface microdefects on the characteristics of free oscillations of the composite. The distribution of microdefects is described by specifying the function of mean density per unit area of each layer. Although the proposed model belongs to the linear theory of elasticity, the deduced key equations are nonlinear due to the presence of a free boundary separating the regions with open and closed microdefects. Published in Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 19–26, May–June, 2007     

Numerical modeling of fluctuation phenomena in semiconductors and detailed noise study of mid-wave infrared HgCdTe-heterostructure devices

The aim of this paper is to present an effective numerical model of fluctuation phenomena in semiconductor structures with an arbitrarily defined doping profile and variable-band structure. The model enables the spectral intensity of the noise current to be calculated. It is known that the 1/f noise may result in fluctuations of the carrier mobility. It is not clear, however, why strong 1/f noise is observed in reverse-biased HgCdTe nonequilibrium photodiodes when saturation currents are usually very low. In the present paper, we try to answer this question. Although the nonequilibrium mode of operation leads to the reduction of the generation-recombination (g-r) noise, it increases the electric field as well as the band mobility of carriers and its fluctuations. The observed low-frequency noise is due to the fluctuations of current density caused by mobility fluctuations assisted by the electric field.     

Multiobjective decision making for traffic assignment

The use of traffic assignment methods with multiobjective decision making to remedy the shortcomings of conventional traffic assignment methods is discussed. The optimal flow patterns are determined using three objectives: total travel time for road users; air pollution for nonusers; and travel distance for government. By using multiobjective decision making and nonlinear programming techniques, a series of noninferior solutions is generated. By combining an eigenvector weighting method with pairwise comparison, a compromise solution for the flow pattern is obtained. As an application example the Taipei network system is discussed. The results show that if other nontraffic-related factors are taken into account, the multiobjective traffic assignment approach is more reasonable and suitable than conventional approaches     

Electrodeposition of disperse non-dendritic zinc on foreign substrates

Attempts have been made to define the conditions leading to the formation of granular zinc deposits from alkaline zincate and zinc sulphate solutions on nickel. Neither constant potential step nor the double pulse potentiostatic method produced visible individual grains. This was found to be due to the fact that at sufficiently low overpotentials the grain growth becomes inhibited for unknown reason before it becomes visible under the optical microscope, while at high overpotentials the large numbers of nuclei formed, lead to fine-grained compact deposits. The development of a small number of discernible grains not increasing in number but increasing in size was achieved in several instances by using a pulsating overpotential. A criterion for estimating the coarseness of the deposit before its grains become visible was found in the quantity of charge needed for the deposit to be seen. Using this criterion, the dependence of the coarseness on the parameters of pulsation has been investigated.