Architectures for RF Frequency synthesizers

Frequency synthesizers are an essential building block of RF communication products. They can be found in traditional consumer products, in personal communication systems, and in optical communication equipment. Since frequency synthesizers are used in many different applications, different performance aspects may need to be considered in each case. The main body of the text describes a conceptual framework for analyzing the performance of PLL frequency synthesizers, and presents optimization procedures for the different performance aspects. The analysis of the PLL properties is performed with the use of the open-loop bandwidth and phase margin concepts, to enable the influence of higher-order poles to be taken into account from the beginning of the design process. The theoretical system analysis is complemented by descriptions of innovative system and building block architectures, by circuit implementations in bipolar and CMOS technologies, and by measurement results. Architectures for RF Frequency Synthesizers contains basic information for the beginner as well as in-depth knowledge for the experienced designer. It is widely illustrated with practical design examples used in industrial products.\ud Written for:\ud Electrical and electronic engineer

ATM automation: guidance on human technology integration

© Civil Aviation Authority 2016Human interaction with technology and automation is a key area of interest to industry and safety regulators alike. In February 2014, a joint CAA/industry workshop considered perspectives on present and future implementation of advanced automated systems. The conclusion was that whilst no additional regulation was necessary, guidance material for industry and regulators was required. Development of this guidance document was completed in 2015 by a working group consisting of CAA, UK industry, academia and industry associations (see Appendix B). This enabled a collaborative approach to be taken, and for regulatory, industry, and workforce perspectives to be collectively considered and addressed. The processes used in developing this guidance included: review of the themes identified from the February 2014 CAA/industry workshop1; review of academic papers, textbooks on automation, incidents and accidents involving automation; identification of key safety issues associated with automated systems; analysis of current and emerging ATM regulatory requirements and guidance material; presentation of emerging findings for critical review at UK and European aviation safety conferences. In December 2015, a workshop of senior management from project partner organisations reviewed the findings and proposals. EASA were briefed on the project before its commencement, and Eurocontrol contributed through membership of the Working Group.Final Published versio

Driver’s Distraction and Understandability of Using GPS Navigation

GPS navigation is available on smartphone application providing turn-by-turn navigation instruction on smartphones and the distraction from GPS usage while driving also became an issue. In this paper, we present the strategy to mitigate the level of distraction by manipulating the type of display visual (2D and 3D) and placement (right, steer and left). We conducted field experiments in left-hand real traffic with 12 subjects. Our result illustrated that 3D conditions implied much fewer frequency of eye glances (FOG) than 2D conditions. Furthermore, steer conditions has much higher FOG than right and left placement conditions, but we found no significant effects on the ease of understanding (EOU) for visual display difference and the number of error for all conditions

A system design for human factors studies of speech-enabled Web browsing

This paper describes the design of a system which will subsequently be used as the basis of a range of empirical studies aimed at discovering how best to harness speech recognition capabilities in multimodal multimedia computing. Initial work focuses on speech-enabled browsing of the World Wide Web, which was never designed for such use. System design is complete, and is being evaluated via usability testing

Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting from airflow in HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems

This study focuses on the design and wind tunnel testing of a high efficiency Energy Harvesting device, based on piezoelectric materials, with possible applications for the sustainability of smart buildings, structures and infrastructures. The development of the device was supported by ESA (the European Space Agency) under a program for the space technology transfer in the period 2014-2016. The EH device harvests the airflow inside Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, using a piezoelectric component and an appropriate customizable aerodynamic appendix or fin that takes advantage of specific airflow phenomena (vortex shedding and galloping), and can be implemented for optimizing the energy consumption inside buildings. Focus is given on several relevant aspects of wind tunnel testing: different configurations for the piezoelectric bender (rectangular, cylindrical and T-shaped) are tested and compared, and the effective energy harvesting potential of a working prototype device is assessed

Recent Advances in Sustainable Winter Road Operations – A Book Proposal

Investing in winter transportation operations is essential and beneficial to the public and the economy. The U.S. economy cannot afford the cost of shutting down highways, airports, etc., during winter weather. In the northern U.S. and other cold-climate areas, winter maintenance operations are essential to ensure the safety, mobility, and productivity of transportation systems. Agencies are continually challenged to provide a high level of service and improve safety and mobility in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner. To this end, it is desirable to use the most recent advances in the application of materials, practices, equipment, and other technologies. Such best practices are expected to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of winter operations, to optimize material usage, and to reduce associated annual spending, corrosion, and environmental impacts. Currently, no professional societies, scientific journals, or textbooks are dedicated solely to sustainable winter road operations, and key information is scattered across a variety of disciplines. The objective of the proposed book is to summarize the best practices and recent advances in sustainable winter road operations for the purposes of education and workforce development. This book is now in press and can be cited as follows: Shi, X., Fu, L. (2017). Sustainable Winter Road Operations (Eds.). ISBN: 978-1-119-18506-2. Wiley-Blackwell