Impedance matching by series condensers for power receivers of in vivo robotic capsules

An impedance matching technique using series condensers for the power receivers of in vivo robotic capsules is proposed. The power delivery function of the condenser ratio and its optimal ratio are derived. Experimental results validate the derived function.     

A Low Noise 100 GHz Sideband-Separating Receiver

We have built a 100 GHz sideband-separating receiver. The receiver, a breadboard for the band 3 cartridges for ALMA, achieves a SSB noise temperature of 6hf/k with a 4–8 GHz IF. We show that it is possible to meet the ALMA specifications. The design of the receiver is reviewed and the relationships between the receiver noise temperature and properties of the components used in the receiver are discussed.     

Channel‐power profile estimation for orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing systems

In this work, a channel‐power profile estimation for orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing systems, based on the cyclic prefix (CP), is introduced. By knowing the delay of each path, the time‐dispersion information can be derived. The proposed method, considering long intersymbol interference (ISI) fading channels, requires only the coarse symbol timing information. More specifically, quasi‐stationary fading channels are considered. The basic contribution is to obtain the maximum‐likelihood estimation of the correlation coefficient based on the CP. Subsequently, the relationship between the correlation coefficient and the channel‐tap powers is explored. With the estimate of correlation coefficient, the least‐square solution of the channel‐tap powers can be determined. The proposed method is suitable for both short and long ISI channels. Furthermore, the Cramér–Rao lower bound of the channel‐power profile estimation is analyzed, and simulations confirm the advantages of the proposed estimator. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Automated analysis of nerve-cell images using active contour models

The number of nerve fibers (axons) in a nerve, the axon size, and shape can all be important neuroanatomical features in understanding different aspects of nerves in the brain. However, the number of axons in a nerve is typically in the order of tens of thousands and a study of a particular aspect of the nerve often involves many nerves. Potentially meaningful studies are often prohibited by the huge number involved when manual measurements have to be employed. A method that automates the analysis of axons from electron-micrographic images is presented. It begins with a rough identification of all the axon centers by use of an elliptical Hough transform procedure. Boundaries of each axons are then extracted based on active contour model, or snakes, approach where physical properties of the axons and the given image data are used in an optimization scheme to guide the snakes to converge to axon boundaries for accurate sheath measurement. However, false axon detection is still common due to poor image quality and the presence of other irrelevant cell features, thus a conflict resolution scheme is developed to eliminate false axons to further improve the performance of detection. The developed method has been tested on a number of nerve images and its results are presented.     

A CMOS ratio-independent and gain-insensitive algorithmicanalog-to-digital converter

This paper describes the design of a CMOS capacitor-ratio-independent and gain-insensitive algorithmic analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. Using the fully differential switched-capacitor technique, the A/D converter is insensitive to capacitor-ratio accuracy as well as finite gain and offset voltage of operational amplifiers. The switch-induced error voltage becomes the only major error source, which is further suppressed by the fully differential structure. The proposed A/D converter is designed and fabricated by 0.8 μm double-poly double-metal CMOS technology. The op-amp gain is only 60 dB and no special layout care is done for capacitor matching. Experimental results have shown that 14-b resolution at the sampling frequency of 10 kHz can be achieved in the fabricated A/D converter. Thus it can be used in the applications which require low-cost high-resolution A/D conversion     

A 200 mW, 1 Msample/s, 16-b pipelined A/D converter with on-chip32-b microcontroller

This paper describes the design and implementation of a fully monolithic 16-b, 1 Msample/s, low-power A/D converter (ADC). An on-chip 32-b custom microcontroller calibrates and corrects the pipeline linearity to within 0.75 LSB integral nonlinearity (INL) and 0.6 LSB differential nonlinearity (DNL). High speed and low power are achieved using a pipelined architecture. Errors resulting from capacitor mismatches, finite op-amp open loop gain, charge injection and comparator offset are removed through self-calibration. Coefficients determined during calibration are stored on chip, digitally correcting the pipeline ADC in real time during normal conversion, Full-scale errors are removed through self-calibration and an-chip multiplication. Linearity errors due to capacitor voltage coefficients are reduced using a curve fit algorithm and on-chip ROM. Digital cross-talk errors resulting from the microcontroller running at a rate of ten times the analog sampling rate have prevented implementations of fully monolithic converters of this performance class in the past. Mismatches in cross-talk due to different digital timing between calibration and correction lead to linearity errors at critical correction points. Experimental analysis and circuit techniques which overcome these problems are presented     

高速数字传输中的帧同步提取分析

本文讨论具有帧结构的高速数字流的帧同步提取技术。从帧同步器方案的最佳参数设计出发,以误码性能为主要目标,本文较系统地提出了一套有关帧同步过程的基本概念和分析方法,并导出在各种情况下的统计关系及重要结论。本文还以美国陆地卫星TM数据流为例,特别阐述了复帧结构情况下的帧同步提取及其最佳参数设计。     

High-power 980-nm AlGaAs/InGaAs strained quantum-well laser grown by OMVPE

High-power lattice-strained AlGaAs/InGaAs graded index separate-confinement heterostructure (GRINSCH) quantum-well lasers emitting at a 980-nm wavelength have been grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) and fabricated with a self-aligned ridge-waveguide structure. Using a 3- mu m-wide and 750- mu m-long AR-HR coated laser, 30 mV of optical power was coupled into optical fibers with 28.6% efficiency. A dominating single-lobe far-field radiation pattern was obtained from a wedge-shaped ridge-waveguide laser for output power as high as 240 mW with a maximum output power of 310 mW.<>     

A novel SAL-PINSCH quantum-well laser structure for a pinched beamdivergence

Summary form only given. An edge-emitting strained AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well laser structure is reported. It has a periodic index separate confinement heterostructure (PINSCH) optical confinement layers for a small beam divergence and high output power. Preliminary measurements of AR/HR-coated self-aligned ridge waveguide lasers show a CW output power of up to 350 mW and a 20° transverse beam divergence at a 980-nm lasing wavelength. This low beam divergence results in a high coupling efficiency of 51% into single-mode fibers. The expanded optical field in PINSCH confinement layers significantly pinches the transverse beam divergence and increases the maximum output power