Testing communication and computer networks: an overview

Many activities in today's organizations are becoming ever more dependent on communications and computer networks, and network managers are faced with the enormous challenge of increasing the availability and efficiency of their infrastructures, which grow both in size and complexity. This makes it crucial to plan network operation systematically, to define and implement appropriate procedures for regular monitoring and performance assessment, and to set up proper tools for maintenance and troubleshooting purposes. Furthermore, proactive network testing must be pursued; it is vital to gather some ideas of normal network operation documented in order to have a comparison term when problems occur. The article has dealt with the measurement instruments and procedures currently adopted for network testing and advances in the field for the I&M research community.     

Magnetic Properties of Thermal Sprayed Tungsten Carbide–Cobalt Coatings

In the information age, the storage and accessibility of data is of vital importance. There are several possibilities to fulfill this task. Magnetic storage of data is a well‐established method and the range of materials used is continuously extended. In this study, the magnetic remanence of thermally sprayed tungsten carbide–cobalt (WCCo)‐coatings in dependence of their thickness is examined. Two magnetic fields differing in value and geometry are imprinted into the coatings and the resulting remanence field is measured. It is found that there are two effects, which in combination determine the effective value of the magnetic remanence usable for magnetic data storage.

     

Ultrasonic time-of-flight estimation through unscented Kalman filter

This paper deals with distance or level measurements based on ultrasonic time-of-fight estimation. Moving from a past experience concerning the proposal of a method based on discrete extended Kalman filter (DEKF) to overcome some limitations of already available ultrasonic-based techniques, a new digital signal processing method capable of granting further improvements is presented. The method is based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), which is a new extension of the Kalman filter theory mandated to face some DEKF problems, mainly due to its inherent linearization approach. To this aim, UKF is applied to the acquired ultrasonic signal in order to estimate the returned echo envelope as well as to locate its onset more accurately. After describing key features and implementation issues of the new method, the results obtained in a number of tests on simulated and actual ultrasonic signals, which assess its reliability and effectiveness as well as advantages with respect to the previous one, are given.     

Casting process and comparison of the properties of adapted load-sensitive magnesium alloys

Magnetic magnesium alloys can be utilized as a load sensitive material, in which the inverse magnetostrictive effect is used in order to measure the actual loads in structural components manufactured from such lightweight sensor alloys. To achieve a material which exhibits magnetic properties, Mg is alloyed with ferromagnetic materials like cobalt or samarium-cobalt. Alloying elements commonly used with Mg are utilized to improve the mechanical properties of these alloys, which however may have a slight negative impact on the magnetic sensitivity. In this work, two separate magnetic Mg alloys are compared, each with properties matched to the opposing requirements: (a) high load sensitivity and (b) satisfactory mechanical properties, respectively. The precipitation behavior of the ferromagnetic constituent Co in Mg together with other alloying elements is shown on the basis of SEM images. In addition, the dissolving behavior of the Co powder during the casting process of a binary Mg–Co alloy is investigated. Cyclic loading tests employing harmonic analyses of eddy current signals are utilized in order to verify the alloys’ sensory properties. The mechanical properties are investigated using tensile tests.     

Optimisation and performance assessment of a digital signal-processing method for jitter measurement in PDH/SDH-based digital telecommunication networks

The paper deals with jitter measurement in telecommunication networks based on plesiochronous (PDH) or synchronous (SDH) digital hierarchies. The attention is mostly focused on PDH/SDH analysers compliant to the ITU-T recommendations, the accuracy of which seems to be unsatisfying for both designers and manufacturers. Trying to give an answer to this problem, a digital signal-processing method was already proposed by the author. It succeeded in improving jitter measurement accuracy by avoiding the use of timing recovery circuitry, always needed, on the contrary, in the aforementioned analysers.The method is here optimised with the aim both of automating jitter performance test of network elements that operate at the PDH bit rate of 140 Mbit/s and the SDH bit rate of 155 Mbit/s, and further enhancing the accuracy on jitter estimates. In particular, an innovative procedure for automatically recovering the binary information conveyed by the jittered signal under analysis is introduced, and a proper strategy for carrying out instantaneous jitter measurements at uniform time intervals is developed.After a brief outline of the old version of the method, the proposed enhancements are described in detail. Then, the performance of the optimised method is assessed through many laboratory tests on emulated signals, the results of which are given and discussed. At the end, the outcomes of real automatic tests, conducted on PDH/SDH-based equipment produced by Marconi Sud S.p.A., are also presented.     

Experimental assessment of the effects of cross-traffic on Wi-Fi video streaming

Wi-Fi networks are the first and sometimes only choice for the video streaming in homes, airports, malls, public areas and museums. However, Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to interference, noise and have bandwidth limitations. Due to the intrinsic vulnerability of the communication channel, and the large number of variables involved, simulation alone is not enough in the evaluation of the performance of wireless networks. Actually, there is a tendency to give experimental tests a central role in the assessment of Wi-Fi networks performance.The paper presents an experimental analysis of the effects of cross traffic on the performance of video streaming over Wi-Fi, based on cross-layer measurements. Experiments are carried out in a semi-anechoic chamber, to prevent the results from being influenced by external factors. The experimental results permit to analyze the influence of cross traffic characteristics on cross layer measures and objective video quality metrics evaluated through a standardized approach.     

Dehumidification and Thermal Behavior of Desiccant Wheels: Correlations Based on Experimental and Manufacturer Data

Desiccant cooling systems (DCS) represent a suitable alternative to conventional systems for air-conditioning purposes. Their benefits should be correctly assessed by means of dynamic simulations, taking into account both the operating context and the available control variables. Several models are available in literature to model solid DCS based on desiccant wheels (DW). Nevertheless, physical models are rather complex to be implemented in dynamic simulation tools of building-integrated energy systems, while constant effectiveness models have low performance. Regression models can represent a suitable alternative, as they can provide high accuracy but with a low modeling effort. In this paper, experimental data are used to develop correlations to predict the dehumidification and thermal performance of a DW, as a function of inlet air temperature and humidity ratio, regeneration temperature, air flow rates, and rotational speed. Statistical tools are used to investigate the effect of those independent operating variables. Furthermore, the selection software provided by another DW manufacturer is used to generate operational data of a further desiccant rotor and to derive the related correlations. At last, the proposed model is compared with the correlations found in the relevant literature. The results show that a very good agreement is found in the comparison between measured and predicted values, with maximum relative errors not higher than 5%. Furthermore, an excellent behavior of the proposed model is also found when it is used to simulate a generic desiccant wheel, without the need of a detailed physical model. Finally, a better agreement is found with respect to other models based on correlations developed in literature, even using a higher number of coefficients to be calibrated.     

Korrosionsverhalten binärer Magnesium‐Zink‐Legierungen in salzhaltigen Medien

Aluminum is a prevalent alloying element to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys. Recent investigations found out that alloying small amounts of zinc can decrease the corrosion rate of binary magnesium‐zinc alloys. Based on these results low‐alloyed MgZn‐alloys have been analyzed in gravimetric and electrochemical measurements using varied chloride containing media. It was detected that small amounts of zinc have positive effects on the corrosion behavior; in low as well as high concentrated sodium chloride solutions. The overall tendencies of the results from the gravimetric and electrochemical investigations can be correlated. This was underlined using micro‐tomography analyses.     

The detection of echoes from multilayer structures using thewavelet transform

A method for measuring unknown thicknesses of multilayer structures, based on echo detection by means of the wavelet transform (WT), is presented. A brief discussion of the theoretical considerations underlying the method is first given. This highlights the excellent performance shown by the WT as a powerful tool for the analysis of echoes in a noisy environment. A suitable operating procedure for validation of the method is then set up. To this end, tests on 1) simulated signals and 2) actual signals received from known thicknesses are carried out: the obtained results are finally given and discussed     

Fast Transformation for DAC Parameters Identification

Modeling of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and identification of their critical parameters are dealt with. The attention is focused on a well-known static model accounting for linearity and intermodulation errors, which are of major concern for DAC functional characterization as well as troubleshooting. The parameters for this model are currently estimated through linear transformations, the application of which is not practical for high-resolution DACs. Practical relations for assessing the uncertainty on estimated parameters are also not available. The authors introduce a new parameter in the model with the aim of proposing an alternative formulation. Complete identification of the DAC under test can thus be pursued through a new fast transformation, characterized by reduced computational burden and suitable for fully in-place implementation