Receive Soft Antenna Selection for Noise-Limited/Interference MIMO Channels

Although the Multi-Input and Multi-Output (MIMO) communication systems provide very high data rates with low error probabilities, these advantages are obtained at the expense of having high signal processing tasks and the hardware cost, e.g. expensive Analog-to-Digital (A/D) converters. The increased hardware cost is mainly due to having multiple Radio Frequency (RF) chains (one for each antenna element). Antenna selection techniques have been proposed to lower the number of RF chains and provide a low cost MIMO system. Among them, due to a beamforming capability Soft Antenna Selection (SAS) schemes have shown a great performance improvement against the traditional antenna sub-set selection methods for the MIMO communication systems with the same number of RF chains. A SAS method is basically realized by a pre-processing module which is located in RF domain of a MIMO system. In this thesis, we investigate on the receive SAS-MIMO, i.e. a MIMO system equipped with a SAS module at the receiver side, in noise-limited/interference channels. For a noise-limited channel, we study the SAS-MIMO system for when the SAS module is implemented before Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), so-called pre-LNA, under both spatial multiplexing and diversity transmission strategies. The pre-LNA SAS module only consists of passive elements. The optimality of the pre-LNA SAS method is investigated under two di erent practical cases of either the external or internal noise dominates. For the interference channel case, the post-LNA SAS scheme is optimized based on Power Angular Spectrum (PAS) of the received interference signals. The analytical derivations for both noise-limited and interference channels are verified via the computer simulations based on a general Rician statistical MIMO channel model. The simulation results reveal a superiority of the post-LNA SAS to the post-LNA SAS at any condition. Moreover, using the simulations performed for the interference channels we show that the post-LNA SAS is upper bounded by the full-complexity MIMO. Since in both above-mentioned channels, noise-limited and interference, the channel knowledge is needed for the SAS optimization, in this thesis we also propose a two-step channel estimation method for the SAS-MIMO. This channel estimation is based on an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) MIMO system. Two di erent estimators of Least-Square (LS) and Minimum-Mean-Square- Error (MMSE) are applied. Simulation results show a superiority of the MMSE method to the LS estimator for a MIMO system simulated under the 802.16 framing strategy. Moreover, a 802.11a framing based SAS-MIMO is simulated using MATLAB SIMULINK to verify the two-step estimation procedure. Furthermore, we also employ a ray-tracing channel simulation to assess di erent SAS configurations, i.e. realized by active (post-LNA) and/or passive (pre-LNA) phased array, in terms of signal coverage. In this regard, a rigorous Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) analysis is performed for each of these SAS realizations. The results show that although the SAS method performance is generally said to be upperbounded by a full-complexity MIMO, it shows a better signal coverage than the full-complexity MIMO

Satellite Communications

This study is motivated by the need to give the reader a broad view of the developments, key concepts, and technologies related to information society evolution, with a focus on the wireless communications and geoinformation technologies and their role in the environment. Giving perspective, it aims at assisting people active in the industry, the public sector, and Earth science fields as well, by providing a base for their continued work and thinking

Energy efficiency in wireless communication

This era would probably be recognized as the information age, hence as a paramount milestone in the progress of mankind, by the future historians. One of the most significant achievements of this age is, making it possible to transmit and receive information effectively and reliably via wireless radio technology. The demand of wireless communication is increasing in a never-resting pace, imposing bigger challenge not only on service providers but also on innovators and researches to innovate out-of-the-box technologies. These challenges include faster data communication over seamless, reliable and cost effective wireless networks, utilizing the limited physical radio resources as well as considering the environmental impact caused by the increasing energy consumption. The ever-expanding wireless communication infrastructure is withdrawing higher energy than ever, raising the need for finding more efficient systems. The challenge of developing efficient wireless systems can be addressed on several levels, starting from device electronics, up to the network-level architecture and protocols. The anticipated gains of achieving such efficiency is the key feature of extending mobile devices' battery life and reducing environmental and economic impacts of wireless communication infrastructure. Therefore energy efficient designs are urgently needed from both environmental and economic aspects of wireless networks. In this research, we explore the field of energy efficiency in MAC and Physical layers of wireless networks in order to enhance the performance and reliability of future wireless networks as well as to reduce its environmental footprint. In the first part of this research, we analyse the energy efficiency of two mostly used modulation techniques, namely MQAM and MFSK, for short range wireless transmissions, up to a few $100$s of meters, and propose optimum rate adaptation to minimize the energy dissipation during transmissions. Energy consumed for transmitting the data over a distance to maintain a prescribed error probability together with the circuit energy have been considered in our work. We provide novel results for optimal rate adaptation for improved energy efficiency. Our results indicate that the energy efficiency can be significantly improved by performing optimal rate adaptation given the radio and channel parameters, and furthermore we identify the maximum distance where optimal rate adaptation can be performed beyond which the optimum rate then becomes the same as the minimum data rate. In the second part of this research, we propose energy efficient algorithm for cellular base stations. In cellular networks, the base stations are the most energy consuming parts, which consume approximately $60-80\%$ of the total energy. Hence control and optimization of energy consumption at base stations should be at the heart of any green radio engineering scheme. Sleep mode implementation in base stations has proven to be a very good approach for the energy efficiency of cellular BSs. Therefore, we have proposed a novel strategy for improving energy efficiency on ternary state transceivers for cellular BSs. We consider transceivers that are capable of switching between sleep, stand-by and active modes whenever required. We have modelled these ternary state transceivers as a three-state Markov model and have presented an algorithm based on Markov model to intelligently switch among the states of the transceivers based on the offered traffic whilst maintaining a prescribed minimum rate per user. We consider a typical macro BS with state changeable transceivers and our results show that it is possible to improve the energy efficiency of the BS by approximately $40\%$ using the proposed MDP based algorithm. In the third part of this research, we propose energy efficient algorithm for aerial base stations. Recently aerial base stations are investigated to provide wireless coverage to terrestrial radio terminals. The advantages of using aerial platforms in providing wireless coverage are many including larger coverage in remote areas, better line-of-sight conditions etc. Energy is a scarce resource for aerial base stations, hence the wise management of energy is quite beneficial for the aerial network. In this context, we study the means of reducing the total energy consumption by designing and implementing an energy efficient aerial base station. Sleep mode implementation in base stations (BSs) has proven to be a very good approach for improving the energy efficiency; therefore we propose a novel strategy for further improving energy efficiency by considering ternary state transceivers of aerial base stations. Using the three state model we propose a Markovian Decision process (MDP) based algorithm to switch between the states for improving the energy efficiency of the aerial base station. The MDP based approach intelligently switches between the states of the transceivers based on the offered traffic whilst maintaining a prescribed minimum channel rate per user. Our simulation results show that there is a around $40\%$ gain in the energy efficiency when using our proposed MDP algorithm together with the three-state transceiver model for the base station compared to the always active mode. We have also shown the energy-delay trade-off in order to design an efficient aerial base station. In the final part of our work, we propose a novel energy efficient handover algorithm, based on Markov decision process (MDP) for the two-tier LTE network, towards reducing power transmissions at the mobile terminal side. The proposed policy is LTE backward-compatible, as it can be employed by suitably adapting a prescribed SNR target and standard LTE measurements. Simulation results reveal that compared to the widely adopted policy based on strongest cell and another energy efficient policy, our proposed policy can greatly reduce the power consumption at the LTE mobile terminals. Most of our works presented in this dissertation has been published in conference proceeding and some of them are currently undergoing a review process for journals. These publications will be highlighted and identified at the end of the first chapter of this dissertation

Compact and Efficient Millimetre-Wave Circuits for Wideband Applications

Radio systems, along with the ever increasing processing power provided by computer technology, have altered many aspects of our society over the last century. Various gadgets and integrated electronics are found everywhere nowadays; many of these were science-fiction only a few decades ago. Most apparent is perhaps your ``smart phone'', possibly kept within arm's reach wherever you go, that provides various services, news updates, and social networking via wireless communications systems. The frameworks of the fifth generation wireless system is currently being developed worldwide. Inclusion of millimetre-wave technology promise high-speed piconets, wireless back-haul on pencil-beam links, and further functionality such as high-resolution radar imaging. This thesis addresses the challenge to provide signals at carrier frequencies in the millimetre-wave spectrum, and compact integrated transmitter front-ends of sub-wavelength dimensions. A radio frequency pulse generator, i.e. a ``wavelet genarator'', circuit is implemented using diodes and transistors in III--V compound semiconductor technology. This simple but energy-efficient front-end circuit can be controlled on the time-scale of picoseconds. Transmission of wireless data is thereby achieved at high symbol-rates and low power consumption per bit. A compact antenna is integrated with the transmitter circuit, without any intermediate transmission line. The result is a physically small, single-chip, transmitter front-end that can output high equivalent isotropically radiated power. This element radiation characteristic is wide-beam and suitable for array implementations

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

Shortest Route at Dynamic Location with Node Combination-Dijkstra Algorithm

Abstract— Online transportation has become a basic requirement of the general public in support of all activities to go to work, school or vacation to the sights. Public transportation services compete to provide the best service so that consumers feel comfortable using the services offered, so that all activities are noticed, one of them is the search for the shortest route in picking the buyer or delivering to the destination. Node Combination method can minimize memory usage and this methode is more optimal when compared to A* and Ant Colony in the shortest route search like Dijkstra algorithm, but can’t store the history node that has been passed. Therefore, using node combination algorithm is very good in searching the shortest distance is not the shortest route. This paper is structured to modify the node combination algorithm to solve the problem of finding the shortest route at the dynamic location obtained from the transport fleet by displaying the nodes that have the shortest distance and will be implemented in the geographic information system in the form of map to facilitate the use of the system. Keywords— Shortest Path, Algorithm Dijkstra, Node Combination, Dynamic Location (key words

Theory and Applications of Aperiodic (Random) Phased Arrays

A need for network centric topologies using mobile wireless communications makes it important to investigate new distributed beamforming techniques. Platforms such as micro air vehicles (MAVs), unattended ground sensors (UGSs), and unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) can all benefit from advances in this area utilizing advantages in stealth, enhanced survivability and maximum maneuverability. Moreover, in this dissertation, electromagnetic radiation is investigated such that the signal power of each element is coherently added in the far-field region of a specified target direction with net destructive interference occurring in all other regions to suppress sidelobe behavior. This provides superior range and resolution characteristics for a variety of applications including; early warning radar, ballistic missile defense and search and rescue efforts. A wide variety of topologies can be used to confine geometrically these mobile random arrays for analysis. The distribution function for these topologies must be able to generalize the randomness within the geometry. By this means it is feasible to assume the random element distribution of a very large volumetric space will yield either a normal or Gaussian distribution. Therefore the underlying assumption stands that the statistically averaged beam pattern develops from an arrangement of uniformly or Gaussian distrusted elements; both confined to a variety of geometry of radius A and is further generalized using a simple theory based upon the Fourier Transform. Hence, this theory will be derived and serve as the foundation for advanced performance characteristics of these arrays such as its ability for sidelobe tapering, adaptive nulling and multi beam control. In addition it will be shown that for the most ideal of conditions a steerable beam pattern free of sidelobe behavior (better known as a Gaussian distribution) is quite possible. As well these random array structures will be shown to provide superior bandwidth capability over tradiational array structures since they are frequency independent. Last of all a summary of the random array analysis and its results concludes this dissertation