Technology Assessment for the Future Aeronautical Communications System

To address emerging saturation in the VHF aeronautical bands allocated internationally for air traffic management communications, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has requested development of a common global solution through its Aeronautical Communications Panel (ACP). In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Eurocontrol initiated a joint study, with the support of NASA and U.S. and European contractors, to provide major findings on alternatives and recommendations to the ICAO ACP Working Group C (WG-C). Under an FAA/Eurocontrol cooperative research and development agreement, ACP WG-C Action Plan 17 (AP-17), commonly referred to as the Future Communications Study (FCS), NASA Glenn Research Center is responsible for the investigation of potential communications technologies that support the long-term mobile communication operational concepts of the FCS. This report documents the results of the first phase of the technology assessment and recommendations referred to in the Technology Pre-Screening Task 3.1 of AP-17. The prescreening identifies potential technologies that are under development in the industry and provides an initial assessment against a harmonized set of evaluation criteria that address high level capabilities, projected maturity for the time frame for usage in aviation, and potential applicability to aviation. A wide variety of candidate technologies were evaluated from several communications service categories including: cellular telephony; IEEE-802.xx standards; public safety radio; satellite and over-the-horizon communications; custom narrowband VHF; custom wideband; and military communications

Optimization of Power Allocation for Multiusers in Multi-Spot-Beam Satellite Communication Systems

In recent years, multi-spot-beam satellite communication systems have played a key role in global seamless communication. However, satellite power resources are scarce and expensive, due to the limitations of satellite platform. Therefore, this paper proposes optimizing the power allocation of each user in order to improve the power utilization efficiency. Initially the capacity allocated to each user is calculated according to the satellite link budget equations, which can be achieved in the practical satellite communication systems. The problem of power allocation is then formulated as a convex optimization, taking account of a trade-off between the maximization of the total system capacity and the fairness of power allocation amongst the users. Finally, an iterative algorithm based on the duality theory is proposed to obtain the optimal solution to the optimization. Compared with the traditional uniform resource allocation or proportional resource allocation algorithms, the proposed optimal power allocation algorithm improves the fairness of power allocation amongst the users. Moreover, the computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is linear with both the numbers of the spot beams and users. As a result, the proposed power allocation algorithm is easy to be implemented in practice

Intelligent genetic algorithms for next-generation broadband multi-carrier CDMA wireless networks

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This dissertation proposes a novel intelligent system architecture for next-generation broadband multi-carrier CDMA wireless networks. In our system, two novel and similar intelligent genetic algorithms, namely Minimum Distance guided GAs (MDGAs) are invented for both peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction at the transmitter side and multi-user detection (MUD) at the receiver side. Meanwhile, we derive a theoretical BER performance analysis for the proposed MC-CDMA system in A WGN channel. Our analytical results show that the theoretical BER performance of synchronized MC-CDMA system is the same as that of the synchronized DS-CDMA system which is also used as a theoretical guidance of our novel MUD receiver design. In contrast to traditional GAs, our MDGAs start with a balanced ratio of exploration and exploitation which is maintained throughout the process. In our algorithms, a new replacement strategy is designed which increases significantly the convergence rate and reduces dramatically computational complexity as compared to the conventional GAs. The simulation results demonstrate that, if compared to those schemes using exhaustive search and traditional GAs, (1) our MDGA-based P APR reduction scheme achieves 99.52% and 50+% reductions in computational complexity, respectively; (2) our MDGA-based MUD scheme achieves 99.54% and 50+% reductions in computational complexity, respectively. The use of one core MDGA solution for both issues can ease the hardware design and dramatically reduce the implementation cost in practice

Identification of Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical Communications

This report describes the process, findings, and recommendations of the second of three phases of the Future Communications Study (FCS) technology investigation conducted by NASA Glenn Research Center and ITT Advanced Engineering & Sciences Division for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FCS is a collaborative research effort between the FAA and Eurocontrol to address frequency congestion and spectrum depletion for safety critical airground communications. The goal of the technology investigation is to identify technologies that can support the longterm aeronautical mobile communication operating concept. A derived set of evaluation criteria traceable to the operating concept document is presented. An adaptation of the analytical hierarchy process is described and recommended for selecting candidates for detailed evaluation. Evaluations of a subset of technologies brought forward from the prescreening process are provided. Five of those are identified as candidates with the highest potential for continental airspace solutions in L-band (P-34, W-CDMA, LDL, B-VHF, and E-TDMA). Additional technologies are identified as best performers in the unique environments of remote/oceanic airspace in the satellite bands (Inmarsat SBB and a custom satellite solution) and the airport flight domain in C-band (802.16e). Details of the evaluation criteria, channel models, and the technology evaluations are provided in appendixes

Intelligent genetic algorithms for next-generation broadband multi-carrier CDMA wireless networks

This dissertation proposes a novel intelligent system architecture for next-generation broadband multi-carrier CDMA wireless networks. In our system, two novel and similar intelligent genetic algorithms, namely Minimum Distance guided GAs (MDGAs) are invented for both peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction at the transmitter side and multi-user detection (MUD) at the receiver side. Meanwhile, we derive a theoretical BER performance analysis for the proposed MC-CDMA system in A WGN channel. Our analytical results show that the theoretical BER performance of synchronized MC-CDMA system is the same as that of the synchronized DS-CDMA system which is also used as a theoretical guidance of our novel MUD receiver design. In contrast to traditional GAs, our MDGAs start with a balanced ratio of exploration and exploitation which is maintained throughout the process. In our algorithms, a new replacement strategy is designed which increases significantly the convergence rate and reduces dramatically computational complexity as compared to the conventional GAs. The simulation results demonstrate that, if compared to those schemes using exhaustive search and traditional GAs, (1) our MDGA-based P APR reduction scheme achieves 99.52% and 50+% reductions in computational complexity, respectively; (2) our MDGA-based MUD scheme achieves 99.54% and 50+% reductions in computational complexity, respectively. The use of one core MDGA solution for both issues can ease the hardware design and dramatically reduce the implementation cost in practice.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Economically sustainable public security and emergency network exploiting a broadband communications satellite

The research contributes to work in Rapid Deployment of a National Public Security and Emergency Communications Network using Communication Satellite Broadband. Although studies in Public Security Communication networks have examined the use of communications satellite as an integral part of the Communication Infrastructure, there has not been an in-depth design analysis of an optimized regional broadband-based communication satellite in relation to the envisaged service coverage area, with little or no terrestrial last-mile telecommunications infrastructure for delivery of satellite solutions, applications and services. As such, the research provides a case study of a Nigerian Public Safety Security Communications Pilot project deployed in regions of the African continent with inadequate terrestrial last mile infrastructure and thus requiring a robust regional Communications Satellite complemented with variants of terrestrial wireless technologies to bridge the digital hiatus as a short and medium term measure apart from other strategic needs. The research not only addresses the pivotal role of a secured integrated communications Public safety network for security agencies and emergency service organizations with its potential to foster efficient information symmetry amongst their operations including during emergency and crisis management in a timely manner but demonstrates a working model of how analogue spectrum meant for Push-to-Talk (PTT) services can be re-farmed and digitalized as a “dedicated” broadband-based public communications system. The network’s sustainability can be secured by using excess capacity for the strategic commercial telecommunication needs of the state and its citizens. Utilization of scarce spectrum has been deployed for Nigeria’s Cashless policy pilot project for financial and digital inclusion. This effectively drives the universal access goals, without exclusivity, in a continent, which still remains the least wired in the world

Multiuser MIMO-OFDM for Next-Generation Wireless Systems

This overview portrays the 40-year evolution of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) research. The amelioration of powerful multicarrier OFDM arrangements with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has numerous benefits, which are detailed in this treatise. We continue by highlighting the limitations of conventional detection and channel estimation techniques designed for multiuser MIMO OFDM systems in the so-called rank-deficient scenarios, where the number of users supported or the number of transmit antennas employed exceeds the number of receiver antennas. This is often encountered in practice, unless we limit the number of users granted access in the base station’s or radio port’s coverage area. Following a historical perspective on the associated design problems and their state-of-the-art solutions, the second half of this treatise details a range of classic multiuser detectors (MUDs) designed for MIMO-OFDM systems and characterizes their achievable performance. A further section aims for identifying novel cutting-edge genetic algorithm (GA)-aided detector solutions, which have found numerous applications in wireless communications in recent years. In an effort to stimulate the cross pollination of ideas across the machine learning, optimization, signal processing, and wireless communications research communities, we will review the broadly applicable principles of various GA-assisted optimization techniques, which were recently proposed also for employment inmultiuser MIMO OFDM. In order to stimulate new research, we demonstrate that the family of GA-aided MUDs is capable of achieving a near-optimum performance at the cost of a significantly lower computational complexity than that imposed by their optimum maximum-likelihood (ML) MUD aided counterparts. The paper is concluded by outlining a range of future research options that may find their way into next-generation wireless systems