SIP-based vertical handoff between WWANs and WLANs

Future-generation wireless networks have been envisioned as the integration of various wireless access networks, including both wireless wide area networks and wireless local area networks. In such a heterogeneous network environment, seamless mobility support is the basis of providing uninterrupted wireless services to mobile users roaming between various wireless access networks. Because of transparency to lower-layer characteristics, ease of deployment, and greater scalability, the application-layer-based session initiation protocol has been considered the right candidate for handling mobility in heterogeneous wireless networks. However, SIP entails application-layer transport and processing of messages, which may introduce considerable delay. As a case study of the performance of mobility management protocols in the heterogeneous wireless networks, we analyze the delay associated with vertical handoff using SIP in the WLAN-UMTS internetwork. Analytical results show that WLAN-to-UMTS handoff incurs unacceptable delay for supporting real-time multimedia services, and is mainly due to transmission of SIP signaling messages over erroneous and bandwidth-limited wireless links. On the other hand, UMTS-to-WLAN handoff experiences much less delay, mainly contributed by the processing delay of signaling messages at the WLAN gateways and servers. While the former case requires the deployment of soft handoff techniques to reduce the delay, faster servers and more efficient host configuration mechanisms can do the job in the latter case.     

An architecture for next-generation radio access networks

With fourth-generation wireless technologies envisioned to provide high bandwidth for content-rich multimedia applications, next-generation mobile communication systems are well poised to lead the technology march. Incumbent with the new technology is the challenge of providing flexible, reconfigurable architectures capable of catering to the dynamics of the network, while providing cost-effective solutions for service providers. In this article we focus on IP-based radio access network architectures for next-generation mobile systems. We provide an insight into wireless mesh-based connectivity for the RAN network elements - using short high-bandwidth links to interconnect the network entities in a multihop mesh network for backhauling traffic to the core. A generic self-similar fractal topology, using optical wireless transmission technology, is described. We study the performance of the architecture and conclude that mesh-based architectures are well suited to provide highly scalable, dynamic radio access networks with carrier-class features at significantly low system costs.     

Energy Efficient Hardware Loop Based Optimization for CGRAs

Journal of Signal Processing Systems - Research interest and industry investment in edge computing solutions have increased dramatically in recent years. Consequent quest for balanced performance,...     

Electrical characterization and reliability study of integrated GaN power amplifier in multi-layer thin-film technology

In this work, the degradation of a GaN power amplifier (PA) integrated in a thin film multi-chip module (MCM-D) interconnect technology is investigated by means of DC and RF measurements. Failure analysis has demonstrated that improper thermal contact may cause the PA module performance degradation. Moreover, we have experimentally studied the thermal effects on the RF performance of MCM-D and low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) PAs. It shows that the device exhibits a higher output power density on a thinned MCM-D substrate than on an LTCC substrate with thermal vias, and also that the output power density can be further improved by reducing the heat spread distance between active devices and heat sink.     

Multiple-output parity bit signature for exhaustive testing

In this article we propose a multiple-output parity bit signature generation method for exhaustive testing of VLSI circuits. Given a multiple-output combinational circuit, a parity bit signature is generated by first EXORing all the outputs to produce a new output function and then feeding this resulting function to a single-output parity bit signature generator. The method preserves all the desirable properties of the conventional single-output circuits response analyzers and can be readily implemented using the current VLSI technology.     

Analysis of an electromagnetic induction detector for real-timelocation of buried objects

Spatial response characteristics of an electromagnetic induction sensor as it passes over a metallic object are investigated using a simple analytical technique. In this low-frequency technique, one replaces a metallic object with equivalent electric and magnetic dipoles and then applies the principles of reciprocity to obtain the induced EMF in a sensor coil. Analysis is carried out for a sensor employing rectangular coils, and the object set is confined to a sphere and a prolate spheroid. The simple approach, which is illustrated with both numerical and experimental data, is found to be adequate to understand the effect on the response characteristics of parameters such as object depth, orientation, aspect ratio, and material properties     

S matrix of slot-coupled H-plane tee junctionusing rectangular waveguides

Complex scattering matrix parameters of a slot-coupled, waveguide tee junction are determined using a moment method of analysis with entire orthogonal basis functions and a rigorous analysis of the effect of wall thickness. The variations of the equivalent network parameter, coupling, and return loss with frequency are evaluated, and the results are compared with experimental data. The unitary property of the S matrix is verified. The dependence of coupling on slot length, slot width, and thickness is presented     

Performance Optimizations for Deploying VoIP Services in Mesh Networks

In the recent past, there has been a tremendous increase in the popularity of VoIP services as a result of huge growth in broadband access. The same voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) service poses new challenges when deployed over a wireless mesh network, while enabling users to make voice calls using WiFi phones. Packet losses and delay due to interference in a multiple-hop mesh network with limited capacity can significantly degrade the end-to-end VoIP call quality. In this work, we discuss the basic requirements for efficient deployment of VoIP services over a mesh network. We present and evaluate practical optimizing techniques that can enhance the network capacity, maintain the VoIP quality and handle user mobility efficiently. Extensive experiments conducted on a real testbed and ns-2 provide insights into the performance issues and demonstrate the level of improvement that can be obtained by the proposed techniques. Specifically, we find that packet aggregation along with header compression can increase the number of supported VoIP calls in a multihop network by 2-3 times. The proposed fast path switching is highly effective in maintaining the VoIP quality. Our fast handoff scheme achieves almost negligible disruption during calls to roaming clients     

Electronic states of organic semiconductors vis-à-vis interactions between molecules in a submonolayer through time-restricted electrostatic assembly

We have made in-depth studies to revisit time-restricted layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic assembly process of a couple of organic molecules. The studies have been made in relation to electronic states of metal phthalocyanines. We show that by shortening dipping time for adsorption of the active molecules, mass adsorbed in each monolayer can be decreased and hence intermolecular spacing between the molecules can be increased. We have characterized the (sub)monolayers deposited on an electrode with scanning tunneling microscope tip to record tunneling current through the molecules. Results show that the highest occupied molecular orbitals and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, and also the difference between the orbitals, that is, the transport gap of the molecules in a (sub)monolayer depends on the dipping time of LbL assembly or molecule-to-molecule separation. We show that interactions between molecules in a monolayer decrease the transport gap of the metal phthalocyanines.     

Effect of polishing parameters on abrasive free chemical mechanical planarization of semi-polar(1122) aluminum nitride surface

An abrasive free chemical mechanical planarization(AFCMP) of semi-polar(1122) AlN surface has been demonstrated. The effect of slurry pH, polishing pressure, and platen velocity on the material removal rate(MRR) and surface quality(RMS roughness) have been studied. The effect of polishing pressure on the AFCMP of the(1122) AlN surface has been compared with that of the(1122) AlGaN surface. The maximum MRR has been found to be ~562 nm/h for the semi-polar(1122) AlN surface, under the experimental conditions of 38 kPa pressure, 90 rpm platen velocity, 30 rpm carrier velocity, slurry pH 3 and 0.4 M oxidizer concentration. The best root mean square(RMS) surface roughness of ~1.2 nm and ~0.7 nm, over a large scanning area of 0.70×0.96 mm², has been achieved on AFCMP processed semi-polar(1122) AlN and(AlGaN) surfaces using optimized slurry chemistry and processing parameters.