An impulsive noise analyser using amplitude probability distribution (APD) for broadband-wired communication

Electromagnetic interference or noise which is of impulsive nature is known to affect data communication performance. It is useful to correlate the characteristics of the noise with the bit error probability (BEP). The amplitude probability distribution (APD) has been proposed within CISPR for characterisation of the impulsive noise. However, there is no analyser available to perform direct measurement of the noise within the bandwidth of asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL2+) communication. This research presents a novel development of APD analyser for measurements of impulsive noise emission and its impact on ADSL2+ communication. A unique noise APD pattern is obtained from each measurement of noise emission from different electrical and electronic appliances. It is vital to have correct measurement set-up, signal power level, sampling rate, sample points and filter characterisation in order to acquire accurate data representation of the noise patterns. The APD graph is generated by the analyser using the APD algorithm method which employs the envelope sampling technique from actual probability. The noises are characterised using α-stable distribution which exhibits its own distinct APD parameters. The APD curve can be related with the single modulation scheme communication channel performance for estimation of bit error probability. The analyser has been developed successfully with dynamic range of 70 dB higher than the 60 dB CISPR 16 requirement, 0.02 dB amplitude resolution compared to 0.25 dB CISPR 16 requirement and 0.59 dB amplitude accuracy compared with the CISPR 16 standard of +/- 2.7 dB. In addition, the limits for noise in copper cable have been proposed for estimating the severity of the interference towards digital communication performance in ADSL2+ system. An advantage of the analyser is its ability to not only record the noise but the ability to regenerate back the noise which can be used for further analysis. In conclusion, the analyser can provide a comprehensive platform for impulsive noise interference verification towards ADSL2+ communication performance

Adaptation of the Electric Machines Learning Process to the European Higher, Education Area

In this paper the basic lines of a complete teaching methodology that has been developed to adaptthe electric machines learning process to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) arepresented. New teaching materials that are specific to Electric Machines have been created(textbooks, self-learning e-books, guidelines for achieving teamwork research, etc.). Working ingroups has been promoted, as well as problem solving and self-learning exercises, all of which areevaluated in a way that encourages students' participation. Finally, the students' learning process inthe lab has been improved by the development both of a new methodology to follow in the lab andnew workbenches with industrial machines that are easier to use and also enable the labexperiments to be automated. Finally, the first results obtained as a result of applying the proposedmethodology are presented

Pharmaceuticals active compounds in the aquatic environment: a review

Pharmaceutical active substances utilised to treat human and animal diseases can launch into the environment through effluents from wastewater treatment plants and direct disposal of pharmaceutical compounds. Some of these compounds arrive in the environment as a parent compound or as active/inactive metabolites. Owing to their pharmacological action, their conceptions in the environment are significant, and thus this chapter reviews the understanding of the presence of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment

Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

Teaching telecommunication standards: bridging the gap between theory and practice

©2017 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Telecommunication standards have become a reliable mechanism to strengthen collaboration between industry and research institutions to accelerate the evolution of communications systems. Standards are needed to enable cooperation while promoting competition. Within the framework of a standard, the companies involved in the standardization process contribute and agree on appropriate technical specifications to ensure diversity and compatibility, and facilitate worldwide commercial deployment and evolution. Those parts of the system that can create competitive advantages are intentionally left open in the specifications. Such specifications are extensive, complex, and minimalistic. This makes telecommunication standards education a difficult endeavor, but it is much demanded by industry and governments to spur economic growth. This article describes a methodology for teaching wireless communications standards. We define our methodology around six learning stages that assimilate the standardization process and identify key learning objectives for each. Enabled by software-defined radio technology, we describe a practical learning environment that facilitates developing many of the needed technical and soft skills without the inherent difficulty and cost associated with radio frequency components and regulation. Using only open source software and commercial of-the-shelf computers, this environment is portable and can easily be recreated at other educational institutions and adapted to their educational needs and constraints. We discuss our and our students' experiences when employing the proposed methodology to 4G LTE standard education at Barcelona Tech.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: observation through a TPACK lens

This paper will discuss an international online collaborative learning experience through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The teacher knowledge required to effectively provide transformative learning experiences for 21st century learners in a digital world is complex, situated and changing. The discussion looks beyond the opportunity for knowledge development of content, pedagogy and technology as components of TPACK towards the interaction between those three components. Implications for practice are also discussed. In today’s technology infused classrooms it is within the realms of teacher educators, practising teaching and pre-service teachers explore and address effective practices using technology to enhance learning