Physical Layer Development Framework for OsmocomBB

The open source GSM protocol stack of the OsmocomBB project offers a versatile development environment regarding the data link and network layer. There is no solution available for developing physical layer baseband algorithms in combination with the data link and network layer. In this paper, a baseband development framework architecture with a suitable interface to the protocol stack of OsmocomBB is presented. With the proposed framework, a complete GSM protocol stack can be run and baseband algorithms can be evaluated in a closed system. It closes the gap between physical layer signal processing implementations in Matlab and the upper layers of the OsmocomBB GSM protocol stack. An embedded version of the system has been realized with FPGA and PowerPC to enable real-time operation. The functionality of the system has been verified with a testbed comprising an OpenBTS base-station emulator, a receiver board with RF transceiver and our developed physical layer signal processing system.     

Outage analysis of selection diversity over Rayleigh fading channels with multiple co-channel interferers

In this paper an approach to the performance analysis of signal-to-interference (SIR) based selection combining (SC) operating over the Rayleigh fading channels experiencing an arbitrary number of multiple, Rayleigh co-channel interferers is presented. We have presented a general analysis of multibranch SC where each branch experiences an arbitrary number of multiple equal power co-channel interferers. Useful closed form expressions are derived for the probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF) at the output of the combiner. Also an outage analysis is performed in order to show the effects of the number of multiple interferers, diversity order and input SIR unbalance to the system performances.     

Evaluation of process parameter space of bulk FinFETs using 3D TCAD

Using full 3D TCAD, an evaluation of process parameter space of bulk FinFET is presented from the point of view of DRAM, SRAM and I/O applications. Process and device simulations are performed with varying uniform fin doping, anti-punch implant dose and energy, fin width, fin height and gate oxide thickness. Bulk FinFET architecture with anti-punch implant is introduced beneath the channel region to reduce the punch-through and junction leakage. For 30 nm bulk FinFET, anti-punch implant with low energy of 15 to 25 keV and dose of 5.0 × 10¹³ to 1.0 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻² is beneficial to effectively suppress the punch-through leakage with reduced GIDL and short channel effects. Our simulations show that bulk FinFETs are approximately independent of back bias effect. With identical fin geometry, bulk FinFETs with anti-punch implant show same I_ON-I_OFF behavior and approximately equal short channel effects like SOI FinFETs.     

Emission Reduction and Capacity Increase in GSM Networks by Single Antenna Interference Cancellation

There is an increasing demand to utilize the frequency spectrum of mobile communication systems most efficiently. This means in particular to GSM networks that the frequency reuse shall be planned as low as possible. In this case the system may become limited by interference rather than coverage. One promising technology for GSM mobiles in interference-limited systems is single antenna interference cancellation (SAIC). This receiver technology allows both for increasing the network capacity and for reducing the base station transmit power. The aim of this paper is to assess the emission reduction as well as the system capacity capabilities when SAIC technology is applied in downlink receivers.     

In?Situ Synchrotron Characterization of Melting, Dissolution, and Resolidification in Lead-Free Solders

Melting and solidification of SAC 305 lead-free solder joints in a wafer-level chip-scale package were examined in situ with synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The chips with balls attached (but not assembled to a circuit board) were reflowed one to three times using a temperature and time history similar to an industrial reflow process. Diffraction patterns from the same joint were collected every 0.5 s during the melting and solidification process. The solidification of the Sn phase in the solder joint occurred between 0.5 s and 1 s. During melting, most of the Sn melted in about 0.5 s, but in some cases took 2–5 s for the Sn peak to completely disappear. In one instance, the Sn peak persisted for 30 s. The Ag₃Sn peaks dissolved in about 1–2 s, but the Cu₆Sn₅ peaks from the interface were persistent and did not change throughout the melting and solidification process. Completely different Sn crystal orientations were always developed upon resolidification.     

Optimal DLC protocol configuration for realistic broadband fixed wireless access networks based on ATM

DLC protocols, scheduling, and multiplexing issues for broadband fixed wireless access networks based on ATM are discussed. The established DSA++ mac protocol has been developed at ComNets and has been widely applied within the German project ATMmobil. It has been a fundamental contribution to the etsi bran standardisation of HIPERLAN /2. The DSA++ is here modified to perform optimal within the fixed wireless access network environment. Therefore, realistic traffic as well as radio channel models for the respective scenarios are introduced. Simulation results are presented, showing the feasibility of the respective protocol stack for offering broadband multimedia services with reasonable quality of service. In addition to this advanced protocol approach, two systems are discussed which are currently under standardisation process. The IEEE 802.16 as well as the European hiperaccess systems are both proposed for fixed wireless access networks. Expected scenarios and applications are presented and basic requirements the standards have to fulfil are derived. As another aspect of access networks, their impact on the global information society is discussed.     

Optical reconstruction of high-speed surface dynamics in an uncontrollable environment

The ability to communicate with our voice can be regarded as the concatenation of the two processes "phonation" and "modulation." These take place in the larynx and palatal and oral region, respectively. During phonation the audible primary voice signal is created by mutual reaction of vocal folds with the exhaled air stream of the lungs. The underlying interactions of masses, fluids and acoustics have yet to be identified and understood. One part of the primary signal's acoustical source are vortex induced vibrations, as e.g., created by the Coand?effect in the air stream. The development of these vorteces is determined by the shape and 3-D movements of the vocal folds in the larynx. Current clinical in vivo research methods for vocal folds do not deliver data of satisfactory quality for fundamental research, e.g., an endoscope is limited to 2-D image information. Based hereupon, a few improved methods have been presented, however delivering only selective 3-D information, either for a single point or a line. This stands in contrast to the 3-D motions of the entire vocal fold surface. More complex imaging methods, such as MRI, do not deliver information in real-time. Thus, it is necessary to develop an easily applicable, more improved examination method, which allows for 3-D data of the vocal folds surfaces to be obtained. We present a method to calibrate a 3-D reconstruction setup including a laser projection system and a high-speed camera. The setup is designed with miniaturization and an in vivo application in mind. The laser projection system generates a divergent grid of 196 laser dots by diffraction gratings. It is calibrated with a planar calibration target through planar homography. In general, the setup allows to reconstruct the topology of a surface at high frame rates (up to 4000 frames per second) and in uncontrollable environments, as e.g., given by the lighting situation (little to no ambient light) and varying texture (e.g., varying grade of reflection) in the human larynx. In particular, this system measures the 3-D vocal fold surface dynamics during phonation. Applied to synthetic data, the calibration is shown to be robust (error approximately 0.5 μm) regarding noise and systematic errors. Experimental data gained with a linear z -stage proved that the system reconstructs the 3-D coordinates of points with an error at approximately 15 μm. The method was applied exemplarily to reconstruct porcine and artificial vocal folds' surfaces during phonation. Local differences such as asymmetry between left and right fold dynamics, as well as global parameters, such as opening and closing speed and maximum displacements, were identified and quantified.     

Relation between the structure of matrices and their mechanical relaxation mechanisms during the glass transition of biomaterials: A review

It has been demonstrated that industrial polysaccharides (agarose, deacylated gellan and κ-carrageenan) form networks of reduced enthalpic content in the presence of high levels of non-crystallizing co-solute (e.g., glucose syrup) that exhibit time-temperature dependent behaviour of a typical rubberlike polymer. In contrast, amylose holds its structural characteristics unaltered and does not reach a state of molecular mixing with glucose syrup, with morphological features being those of a micro phase-separated mixture. Variation in phase morphology and density of intermolecular associations leads to entropic or enthalpic viscoelasticity in systems, and it was utilised to define distinct classes of food related biomaterials exhibiting an extensive glass transition region or absence of vitrification phenomena. The approach was extended to encompass the experimental parameters of a porous matrix and the application of hydrostatic pressure. In the former, work discusses discrepancies in the T_g - porosity relationship attributable to the different extent to which the two techniques of calorimetry and mechanical spectroscopy respond to degrees of molecular mobility. In the latter, it was shown that the time-temperature-pressure equivalence of synthetic amorphous polymers is not operational in the glass-like behaviour of high sugar systems in the presence of gelatin or gelling polysaccharides. The existing body of evidence allowed quantitative treatment of results based on the asymmetric distribution theory of molecular relaxation time that identifies the chemical fingerprint of the local motions operating at the vicinity of T_g. Furthermore, the diffusional mobility of a bioactive compound within a glassy matrix could be followed in relation to temperature induced changes in free volume using the time-temperature superposition principle.     

Composition of the surface waxes from bell pepper and eggplant

Surface waxes from the skins of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) were rinsed with tert-butylmethyl ether (TBME). The wax components were separated into two fractions by elution from a small silica gel column with toluene/hexane (2+1) followed by methanol. They were identified by GC/MS and quantitatively determined by GC/FID. For 12 bell pepper cultivars, fraction 1 made up 39% of the total and contained mainly n-alkanes C₂₀–C₃₅ (with C₃₁ dominating), iso-alkanes C₂₅–C₃₅, and some aldehydes. The 61% of fraction 2 consisted of 15 triterpenes, namely - and -amyrin, lupeol, glutinol, 3-friedelanol, friedelin, taraxerol, taraxasterol, -amyrin, germanicol, multiflorenol, -taraxasterol, isomultiflorenol, isobauerenol and bauerenol, as well as n-alkanoic acids C₁₆–C₃₂, 2-hydroxy-alkanoic acids C₂₀–C₂₆ and traces of n-alkanols and phytosterols (campesterol, stigmasterol and -sitosterol). For the three eggplant cultivars, 77% of fraction 1 was obtained with (in decreasing order) n-alkanes C₂₃–C₃₆, anteiso-alkanes C₂₉–C₃₆, iso-alkanes C₂₇–C₃₅, and some aldehydes. In the 23% of fraction 2, the n-alkanoic acids C₁₆–C₃₂ predominated compared with the 2-hydroxy-alkanoic acids C₂₂–C₂₆, the n-alkanols C₂₄–C₂₉, triterpenols (- and -amyrin, lupeol, germanicol) and sterols (stigmasterol and -sitosterol).