The Effects of Cognitive Jamming on Wireless Sensor Networks used for Geolocation

The increased use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for geolocation has led to an increased reliance on this technology. Jamming, protecting jamming, and detecting jamming in a WSN are areas of study that have greatly increased in interest. This research uses simulations and data collected from hardware experiments to test the effects of jamming on a WSN. Hardware jamming was tested using a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) Version 2 to assess the effects of jamming on a cooperative network of Java Sun SPOTs. The research combines simulations and data collected from the hardware experiments to see the effects of jamming on cooperative and noncooperative geolocation

Navigation with Limited Prior Information Using Time Difference of Arrival Measurements from Signals of Opportunity

The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides world-wide availability to high-accuracy navigation and positioning information. However, the threats to GPS are increasing, and many limitations of GPS are being encountered. Simultaneously, systems previously considered as viable backups or supplements to GPS are being shut down. This creates the need for system alternatives. Navigation using signals of opportunity (SoOP) exploits any signal that is available in a given area, regardless of whether or not the original intent of the signal was for navigation. Common techniques to compute a position estimate using SoOP include received signal strength, angle of arrival, time of arrival, and time difference of arrival (TDOA). To estimate the position of a SoOP receiver, existing TDOA algorithms require one reference receiver and multiple transmitters, all with precisely known positions. This thesis considers modifications to an existing algorithm to produce a comparable position estimate without requiring precise a priori knowledge of the transmitters or reference receiver(s). Using Amplitude Modulation (AM) SoOP, the effect of erroneous a priori data on the existing algorithm are investigated. A proof-of-concept for three new estimation algorithms is presented in this research. Two of the estimators successfully demonstrate comparable performance to the existing algorithm. This is demonstrated in six different transmitter environments using four different receiver configurations

Signal Processing and Learning for Next Generation Multiple Access in 6G

Wireless communication systems to date primarily rely on the orthogonality of resources to facilitate the design and implementation, from user access to data transmission. Emerging applications and scenarios in the sixth generation (6G) wireless systems will require massive connectivity and transmission of a deluge of data, which calls for more flexibility in the design concept that goes beyond orthogonality. Furthermore, recent advances in signal processing and learning have attracted considerable attention, as they provide promising approaches to various complex and previously intractable problems of signal processing in many fields. This article provides an overview of research efforts to date in the field of signal processing and learning for next-generation multiple access, with an emphasis on massive random access and non-orthogonal multiple access. The promising interplay with new technologies and the challenges in learning-based NGMA are discussed

M-ary Chirp Modulation for Data Transmission

M-ary chirp modulations, both discontinuous- and continuous-phase, for M-ary data transmission are proposed and examined for their error rate performances in additive, white, Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. These chirp modulated signals are described and illustrated as a function of time and modulation parameters. M-ary chirp modula­ tion with discontinuous phase is first proposed and then the M-ary Continuous Phase Chirp Modulation (MCPCM) is considered. General descriptions of these modula­ tion systems are given and properties of signals representing these modulations are given and illustrated. Optimum algorithms for detection of these signals in AWGN are derived and structures of optimum receivers are identified. Using the minimum Euclidean distance criterion in signal-space; upper bounds on Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) gain relative to Multiple Phase Shift Keying (MPSK) are established for 2-. *4-, and 8-ary MCPCM systems. It is observed that the maximum likelihood coherent and non-coherent receivers for MCPCM are non-linear and require multiple-symbol observations. Since symbol error probability performance analyses of these receivers are too complex to perform, union upper bounds on their performances are derived and illustrated as a function of SNR, number of observation symbols, and modulation parameters for MCPCM. Optimum 2-, 4-, and 8-ary modulation schemes that mini­ mize union upper bound on symbol error rates have been determined and illustrated. Our results show that 2-, 4-, and 8-ary optimum coherent MCPCM systems, with 5-symbol observation length, offer 1.6 dB, 3.6 dB, and 8 dB improvements relative to 2-ary, 4-ary, and 8-ary PSK systems, respectively. Also, it is shown that opti­ mum 2-ary and 4-ary non-coherent MCPCM systems can outperform 2-ary and 4-ary coherent PSK systems, respectively

Interference Management and Energy Efficiency in Satellite Communications

The main areas of research of this thesis are Interference Management and Link-Level Power Efficiency for Satellite Communications. The thesis is divided in two parts. Part I tackles the problem of interference environments in satellite communications, and interference mitigation strategies, not just in terms of avoidance of the interferers, but also in terms of actually exploiting the interference present in the system as a useful signal. The analysis follows a top-down approach across different levels of investigation, starting from system level consideration on interference management, down to link-level aspects and to intra-receiver design. Interference Management techniques are proposed at all the levels of investigation, with interesting results. Part II is related to efficiency in the power domain, for instance in terms of required Input Back-off at the power amplifiers, which can be an issue for waveform based on linear modulations, due to their varying envelope. To cope with such aspects, an analysis is carried out to compare linear modulation with waveforms based on constant envelope modulations. It is shown that in some scenarios, constant envelope waveforms, even if at lower spectral efficiency, outperform linear modulation waveform in terms of energy efficiency