Multi-Stage CMOS OTA Frequency Compensation: Genetic algorithm approach

Multistage amplifiers have become appropriate choices for high-speed electronics and data conversion. Because of the large number of high-impedance nodes, frequency compensation has become the biggest challenge in the design of multistage amplifiers. The new compensation technique in this study uses two differential stages to organize feedforward and feedback paths. Five Miller loops and a 500-pF load capacitor are driven by just two tiny compensating capacitors, each with a capacitance of less than 10 pF. The symbolic transfer function is calculated to estimate the circuit dynamics and HSPICE and TSMC 0.18 μm. CMOS technology is used to simulate the proposed five-stage amplifier. A straightforward iterative approach is also used to optimize the circuit parameters given a known cost function. According to simulation and mathematical results, the proposed structure has a DC gain of 190 dB, a gain bandwidth product of 15 MHz, a phase margin of 89°, and a power dissipation of 590 μW.     

Configurable FFT Processor Using Dynamically Reconfigurable Resource Arrays

This paper presents results of using a Coarse Grain Reconfigurable Architecture called DRRA (Dynamically Reconfigurable Resource Array) for FFT implementations varying in order and degree of parallelism using radix-2 decimation in time (DIT). The DRRA fabric is extended with memory architecture to be able to deal with data-sets much larger than what can be accommodated in the register files of DRRA. The proposed implementation scheme is generic in terms of the number of FFT point, the size of memory and the size of register file in DRRA. Two implementations (DRRA-1 and DRRA-2) have been synthesized in 65 nm technology and energy/delay numbers measured with post-layout annotated gate level simulations. The results are compared to other Coarse Grain Reconfigurable Architectures (CGRAs), and dedicated FFT processors for 1024 and 2048 point FFT. For 1024 point FFT, in terms of FFT operations per unit energy, DRRA-1 and DRRA-2 outperforms all CGRA by at least 2× and is worse than ASIC by 3.45×. However, in terms of energy-delay product DRRA-2 outperforms CGRAs by at least 1.66× and dedicated FFT processors by at least 10.9×. For 2048-point FFT, DRRA-1 and DRRA-2 are 10× better for energy efficiency and 94.84 better for energy-delay product. However, radix-2 implementation is worse by 9.64× and 255× in terms of energy efficiency and energy-delay product when compared against a radix-2⁴ implementation.

     

An Efficient Backoff Algorithm for IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks

IEEE 802.15.4 is one of the most prominent MAC protocol standard designed to achieve low-power, low-cost, and low-rate wireless personal area networks. The contention access period of IEEE 802.15.4 employs carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) algorithm. A long random backoff time causes longer average delay, while a small one gives a high collision rate. In this paper, we propose an efficient backoff algorithm, called EBA-15.4MAC that enhances the performance of slotted CSMA/CA algorithm. EBA-15.4MAC is designed based on two new techniques; firstly, it updates the contention window size based on the probability of collision parameter. Secondly, EBA-15.4MAC resolves the problem of access collision via the deployment of a novel Temporary Backoff (TB) and Next Temporary Backoff (NTB). In this case, the nodes not choose backoff exponent randomly as mentioned in the standard but they select TB and NTB values which can be 10–50 % of the actual backoff delay selected by the node randomly. By using these two new methods, EBA-15.4MAC minimizes the level of collision since the probability of two nodes selecting the same backoff period will be low. To evaluate the performance of EBA-15.4MAC mechanism, the network simulator has been conducted. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly improves the throughput, delivery ratio, power consumption and average delay.     

Terahertz Absorption of Nematic Liquid Crystals

We present the first systematic study of cyanobiphenyls (CBs) and the phenylcyclohexanes in the range between 50 cm^-1 (1.5 THz) and 500 cm^-1 (15 THz). The impact of the alkyl chain length and of variations in the core structure on the spectrum is investigated using liquid crystals from the cyanobiphenyl and phenylcyclohexane families. Our measurements are supported by calculations based on density functional theory. This enables us to shine light on the vibrational dynamics of liquid crystal molecules in the terahertz frequency range.     

Characterization and Investigation of Magnetic and Microwave Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/SrFe10MnSn0.5Ti0.5O19 Nanocomposites

SrFe₁₀MnSn_0.5Ti_0.5O₁₉/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites with different volume percentages of MWCNT content were synthesized by a sol–gel method. The results of x-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry analyses demonstrated that the SrFe₁₀MnSn_0.5Ti_0.5O₁₉ nanoparticles were attached on the external surfaces of the MWCNTs. Mössbauer spectroscopy indicates that the substituted cations preferentially occupy the 12k sites. Magnetic properties were measured using a vibrating-sample magnetometer, and microwave absorption properties were investigated using a vector network analyzer. It was found that, with increasing volume percentage of MWCNT content, the saturation magnetization as well as the coercivity decrease, but the reflection loss widely increases. To investigate the effect of sample thickness on the absorption properties, different values of thickness (1.6 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, and 2 mm) were selected. The results showed that, with increasing thickness of the absorber, the reflection loss and bandwidth broadly increase.     

Adaptive single snapshot beamforming: a new concept for therejection of nonstationary and coherent interferers

An approach to adaptive beamforming (adaptive reconstruction of a desired signal in the presence of interferers and noise) that uses just a single snapshot to calculate the antenna weights is presented. As in previous studies, a structured and grouped array of sensor elements is assumed. The concept exploits the induced special data structure, which can be described as a generalized rank-one eigenvalue problem and can be solved by means of a linear (overdetermined) system solver. Arbitrary signal statistics are allowed and no difficulties with nonstationary, and coherent interferers arise. Furthermore, the algorithm does not exhibit any transient behavior. Simulations verify its good performance in comparison with the optimum beamformer     

Millimeter wave propagation in arid land-a field study in Riyadh

A field study on wave propagation has been actively running for four years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study involves the operation and monitoring of two links at a frequency of 40 GHz, and an infrared link at 0.88-μm wavelength. A meteorological station is also operated and monitored. The effect of sand storms on propagation is studied by measuring storm parameters, namely, visibility, particle size and size distribution, and induced attenuation. The results are compared with long-term visibility data for Riyadh, and a complete statistical analysis is given. The effect of rain is studied by measuring both rain rate and rain attenuation. Long-term rain data are utilized to derive long-term rain statistics. It is shown that the measured attenuation due to sand storms is about four times larger than the calculated attenuation at 40 GHz. The measured rain attenuation at infrared is found to be smaller by a factor of 0.3 than theoretically predicted attenuation