Optimal resource allocation for wireless video over CDMA networks

We present a multiple-channel video transmission scheme in wireless CDMA networks over multipath fading channels. We map an embedded video bitstream, which is encoded into multiple independently decodable layers by 3D-ESCOT video coding technique, to multiple CDMA channels. One video source layer is transmitted over one CDMA channel. Each video source layer is protected by a product channel code structure. A product channel code is obtained by the combination of a row code based on rate compatible punctured convolutional code (RCPC) with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) error detection and a source-channel column code, i.e., systematic rate-compatible Reed-Solomon (RS) style erasure code. For a given budget on the available bandwidth and total transmit power, the transmitter determines the optimal power allocations and the optimal transmission rates among multiple CDMA channels, as well as the optimal product channel code rate allocation, i.e., the optimal unequal Reed-Solomon code source/parity rate allocations and the optimal RCPC rate protection for each channel. In formulating such an optimization problem, we make use of results on the large-system CDMA performance for various multiuser receivers in multipath fading channels. The channel is modeled as the concatenation of wireless BER channel and a wireline packet erasure channel with a fixed packet loss probability. By solving the optimization problem, we obtain the optimal power level allocation and the optimal transmission rate allocation over multiple CDMA channels. For each CDMA channel, we also employ a fast joint source-channel coding algorithm to obtain the optimal product channel code structure. Simulation results show that the proposed framework allows the video quality to degrade gracefully as the fading worsens or the bandwidth decreases, and it offers improved video quality at the receiver.     

Hot-carrier reliability of 20V MOS transistors in 0.13 μm CMOS technology

This paper presents results of reliability investigation of 20 V N-Drift MOS transistor in 0.13 μm CMOS technology. Due to high performances required for CMOS applications, adding high voltage devices becomes a big challenge to guarantee the reliability criteria. In this context, new reliability approaches are needed. Safe Operating Area are defined for switch, V_ds limited and V_gs limited applications in order to improve circuit designs. For V_ds limited applications, deep doping dose effects in drift area are investigated in correlation to lifetime evaluations based on device parameter shifts under hot carrier stressing. To further determine the amount and locations of hot carriers injections, accurate 2D technological and electrical simulations are performed and permit to select the best compromise between performance and reliability for N-Drift MOS transistor.     

Fabrication of Strain-Relaxed Si<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ge<Subscript>x</Subscript>/Si(001) Buffer Layers of Low Surface Roughness

The results are presented of the fabrication of strain-relaxed graded Si_{1 − x} Ge_x/Si(001) buffer layers with a maximum Ge fraction of about 0.25 that have a low density of threading dislocations (<10⁶ cm⁻²) and low surface roughness. The buffer layers are grown by atmospheric-pressure hydride CVD. It is found that chemical mechanical polishing can reduce their surface roughness to a level comparable with that of the original Si(001) substrates. It is shown that the polished buffer layers can serve as substrates for MBE-grown SiGe/Si heterostructures.__________Translated from Mikroelektronika, Vol. 34, No. 4, 2005, pp. 243–250.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Vostokov, Drozdov, Krasil’nik, Kuznetsov, Novikov, Perevoshchikov, Shaleev.     

Force criteria of the state of limiting equilibrium of a cracked plate under biaxial loading

We deduce the theoretical formula taking into account the influence of biaxial loading of a plate weakened by a crack on the stress intensity factor K _I. This enables us to compute the characteristic of crack resistance K _c according to the known boundary forces. __________ Translated from Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 14–16, November–December, 2007.     

Midplane-symmetry breaking in the flow between two counter-rotating disks

This paper considers the axisymmetric steady flow driven by exact counter rotation of two co-axial disks of finite radius. At the edges of the rotating disks one of three conditions is (typically) imposed: (i) zero velocity, corresponding to a stationary, impermeable, cylindrical shroud (ii) zero normal velocity and zero tangential fluid traction, corresponding to a (confined) free surface and (iii) an edge constraint that is consistent with a similarity solution of von Kármán form. The similarity solution is valid in an infinite geometry and possesses a pitchfork bifurcation that breaks the midplane symmetry at a critical Reynolds number. In this paper, similar bifurcations of the global (finite-domain) flow are sought and comparisons are made between the resulting bifurcation structure and that found for the similarity solution. The aim is to assess the validity of the nonlinear similarity solutions in finite domains and to explore the sensitivity of the solution structure to edge conditions that are implicitly neglected when assuming a self-similar flow. It is found that, whilst the symmetric similarity solution can be quantitatively useful for a range of boundary conditions, the bifurcated structure of the finite-domain flow is rather different for each boundary condition and bears little resemblance to the self-similar flow.     

PECVD of diamond-like carbon (a-C:H) from the decomposition of methane in a high-density inductively coupled discharge

The paper describes an experimental investigation of the diamond-like carbon deposition process from methane precursor with an innovative high-density inductively coupled plasma source. It appears that a high plasma density allows a fast growth of diamond-like carbon coatings exhibiting a high hardness. In contrast to what is usually found in the literature, it seems that the ion species participate significantly to the growth of the carbon film when exposed to a high ion flux.     

Low-temperature pyroelectric properties of Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The pyroelectric properties of lithium sulfate have been studied theoretically on the hypothesis of a pseudosymmetry of the structure of its polar phase. Analytical expressions are proposed for the temperature dependences of its pyroelectric polarization and pyroelectric coefficient at low temperatures and near the polymorphic transformation. The pyroelectric and piezoelectric coefficients of a polar crystal are shown to be in direct proportion.     

Fast numerically stable computation of orthogonal Fourier?Mellin moments

An efficient algorithm for the computation of the orthogonal Fourier-Mellin moments (OFMMs) is presented. The proposed method computes the fractional parts of the orthogonal polynomials, which consist of fractional terms, recursively, by eliminating the number of factorial calculations. The recursive computation of the fractional terms makes the overall computation of the OFMMs a very fast procedure in comparison with the conventional direct method. Actually, the computational complexity of the proposed method is linear O(p) in multiplications, with p being the moment order, while the corresponding complexity of the direct method is O(p²). Moreover, this recursive algorithm has better numerical behaviour, as it arrives at an overflow situation much later than the original one and does not introduce any finite precision errors. These are the two major advantages of the algorithm introduced in the current work, establishing the computation of the OFMMs to a very high order as a quite easy and achievable task. Appropriate simulations on images of different sizes justify the superiority of the proposed algorithm over the conventional algorithm currently used     

Unit commitment ? a fuzzy mixed integer Linear Programming solution

Unit commitment (UC) of a large system is a complex puzzle with integer/continuous variables and numerous inter-temporal constraints. After deregulation, price offers submitted by GenCos are predominantly in the form of linear price quantity (PQ) pairs. A fuzzy UC formulation that uses price offers modeled as PQ pairs. This fuzzy linear optimisation formulation of UC is solved using a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) routine. In this formulation, start up cost is modelled using linear variables. The fuzzy formulation provides modeling flexibility, relaxation in constraint enforcement and allows the method to seek a practical solution. The use of MILP technique makes the proposed solution method rigorous and fast. The method is tested on a 24 h, 104-generator system demonstrating its speed and robustness gained by using the LP technique. A five-generator system is additionally used to create a see-through example demonstrating advantages of using the fuzzy optimisation model.     

Optimised electromagnetic 3d field solver for frequencies below the first resonance

An optimised low-frequency solution algorithm is proposed that reduces the electromagnetic wave equation to a small number of scalar potential problems. The latter can be solved using black-box algebraic multigrid solvers. Within the framework of the finite integration technique, the reduction of the wave equation is accomplished by tree/cotree decompositions of primary and dual grids, which allow for highly efficient solutions of Ampere's and Faraday's equations. The example of a ferrite-loaded accelerator component demonstrates that the scheme is much more efficient than the direct approach using Krylov subspace solvers