Room equalization based on iterative simple complex smoothing of acoustic impulse responses

This paper presents a room equalization method based on iterative simple complex smoothing of measured acoustic impulse responses. This is useful in cases of long duration impulse responses. Corresponding time reduced impulse responses are derived which conform to perceptual principles. The smoothed impulse responses are then used to design equalization filters. Results from an audio-conferencing reverberant room using objective and subjective tests show that we can improve the measured and perceived quality of audio reproduction

Perceptual thresholds for the effects of room modes as a function of modal decay

Room modes cause audible artefacts in listening environments. Modal control approaches have emerged in scientific literature over the years and, often, their performance is measured by criteria that may be perceptually unfounded. Previous research has shown modal decay as a key perceptual factor in detecting modal effects. In this work, perceptual thresholds for the effects of modes as a function of modal decay have been measured in the region between 32Hz and 250Hz. A test methodology has been developed to include modal interaction and temporal masking from musical events, which are important aspects in recreating an ecologically valid test regime. This method has been deployed in addition to artificial test stimuli traditionally used in psychometric studies, which provide unmasked, absolute thresholds. For artificial stimuli, thresholds decrease monotonically from 0.9 seconds at 32 Hz to 0.17 seconds at 200 Hz, with a knee at 63 Hz. For music stimuli, thresholds decrease monotonically from 0.51 seconds at 63 Hz to 0.12 seconds at 250 Hz. Perceptual thresholds are shown to be dependent on frequency and to a much lesser extent on level. Results presented here define absolute and practical thresholds, which are useful as perceptually relevant optimization targets for modal control methods

An auralisation method for real time subjective testing of modal parameters.

Subjective testing is necessary when attempting to determine the human response to audio quality. Small rooms, such as recording studio control rooms themselves have an effect upon the quality of the perceived audio reproduction. Of particular interest is the low frequency region where resonances, or ‘room modes’, occur. It is necessary to test a number of modal parameters individually and be able to alter them instantly during testing in response to listener perception. An auralisation method has been developed which is used to compare musical samples within modelled rooms. Methods are discussed in the context of providing a practical system, where real time testing is feasible. The formation of the room’s transfer function is discussed, as are a number of issues relating to the generation of audio samples. This work is then placed in context with a brief explanation of how the system is to be used in a real subjective test

Visible Light Communications towards 5G

5G networks have to offer extremely high capacity for novel streaming applications. One of the most promising approaches is to embed large numbers of co-operating small cells into the macro-cell coverage area. Alternatively, optical wireless based technologies can be adopted as an alternative physical layer offering higher data rates. Visible light communications (VLC) is an emerging technology for future high capacity communication links (it has been accepted to 5GPP) in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum (~370–780 nm) utilizing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) simultaneously provide data transmission and room illumination. A major challenge in VLC is the LED modulation bandwidths, which are limited to a few MHz. However, myriad gigabit speed transmission links have already been demonstrated. Non line-of-sight (NLOS) optical wireless is resistant to blocking by people and obstacles and is capable of adapting its’ throughput according to the current channel state information. Concurrently, organic polymer LEDs (PLEDs) have become the focus of enormous attention for solid-state lighting applications due to their advantages over conventional white LEDs such as ultra-low costs, low heating temperature, mechanical flexibility and large photoactive areas when produced with wet processing methods. This paper discusses development of such VLC links with a view to implementing ubiquitous broadcasting networks featuring advanced modulation formats such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or carrier-less amplitude and phase modulation (CAP) in conjunction with equalization techniques. Finally, this paper will also summarize the results of the European project ICT COST IC1101 OPTICWISE (Optical Wireless Communications - An Emerging Technology) dealing VLC and OLEDs towards 5G networks

High-speed PAM4-based Optical SDM Interconnects with Directly Modulated Long-wavelength VCSEL

This paper reports the demonstration of high-speed PAM-4 transmission using a 1.5-{\mu}m single-mode vertical cavity surface emitting laser (SM-VCSEL) over multicore fiber with 7 cores over different distances. We have successfully generated up to 70 Gbaud 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) signals with a VCSEL in optical back-to-back, and transmitted 50 Gbaud PAM-4 signals over both 1-km dispersion-uncompensated and 10-km dispersion-compensated in each core, enabling a total data throughput of 700 Gbps over the 7-core fiber. Moreover, 56 Gbaud PAM-4 over 1-km has also been shown, whereby unfortunately not all cores provide the required 3.8 $\times$ 10 $^{-3}$ bit error rate (BER) for the 7% overhead-hard decision forward error correction (7% OH HDFEC). The limited bandwidth of the VCSEL and the adverse chromatic dispersion of the fiber are suppressed with pre-equalization based on accurate end-to-end channel characterizations. With a digital post-equalization, BER performance below the 7% OH-HDFEC limit is achieved over all cores. The demonstrated results show a great potential to realize high-capacity and compact short-reach optical interconnects for data centers.Comment: 7 pages, accepted to publication in 'Journal of Lightwave Technology (JLT

Smart receiver for visible light communications: Design and Analysis

This paper presents the concept, design and analysis for a visible light communications receiver to guard against blocking and enhance mobility. Different geometrical shapes have been investigated, with two being chosen and analyzed in MATLAB for the received power and the root–mean–square(RMS) delay spread. The results show that the receiver is fully mobile within the test area and can handle data rates far greater than that offered by commercially available LEDs