Design of a Power Quality Monitoring System Based on IOIO and Android Application

This study describes the design of the complete electrical sensing system, comprising of an IOIO Microcontroller Unit which connects to an Android Smartphone and the GSM network that can be adopted for power quality monitoring by the electric distribution networks (in this case the Tanzania Electric Supply Company , TANESCO was used as a case study) in order that the primary power faults parameters can be communicated to respective control centres and electronically stored for further analysis. This system is designed to improve the accessibility of power-quality information and to increase understanding of the growing importance of electricity reliability and power quality to the economy. The prototype was implemented using the Input-Output (IOIO) board, an Android SmartPhone, the Global System for Mobile Communications (originally Groupe Spécial Mobile – GSM) network and a cell phone, as control centre. The study focused on how to communicate an alert of an event that cause fault in the electric distribution line to a control centre . Currently, TANESCO’s distribution network has no fault parameter being communicated (relayed) to control centre. Control centres rely on the information from customers. Say there is low voltage at customer end, unless customer informs customer’s service desk, the fault go unreported. Communication of faults at distribution networks is imperative because its absence leads to disruption and damage to electrical appliances and equipment coupled to the power system, and hence, to economic losses and even danger to life and health of service staff. Keywords: IOIO board, PQ, PLC, GSM, GPS, SCADA. Android Smartphon

Comparison of Empirical Propagation Path Loss Models for Mobile Communication

Empirical propagation models have found favor in both research and industrial communities owing to their speed of execution and their limited reliance on detailed knowledge of the terrain. In mobile communication the accuracy prediction of path losses is a crucial element during network planning and optimization. However, the existence of multiple propagation models means that there is no propagation model which is precisely and accurate in prediction of path loss fit for every environs other than in which they were designed. This paper presents few empirical models suitable for path loss prediction in mobile communication. Experimental measurements of received power for the 900 MHz GSM system are made in urban, suburban, and rural areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Measured data are compared with those obtained by five prediction models: Stanford University Interim (SUI) models [1], the COST-231 Hata model [2], the ECC-33 model [3], the ERICSSON model [4], and the HATA-OKUMURA model [5]. The results show that in general the SUI, COST-231, ERICSSON, and Hata-Okumura under-predict the path loss in all environments, while the ECC-33 model shows the best results, especially in suburban and over-predict pathloss in urban area. Keywords: Propagation pathloss, empirical models, radio coverage, mobile communications

A Step on Developing Network Monitoring Tools

Network Monitoring involves Using Software or hardware based Systems or a combination of both to constantly observe the status of network devices and hosts, and notifies the network administrator via email, SMS or other alarms in case of error or fail. Observing the status of network device and hosts is done when the Monitoring System speaks with the networking devices or hosts using different protocols within the protocols stack (OSI Layer) ,see Figure1.The aim of this paper is to provide a footstep on developing a network monitoring tool for monitoring network devices and hosts. This is a software based Network Monitoring tool using a combination of Simple network Monitoring Protocol (SNMP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and Port scanning concept. Key words: SNMP Manager, MIB, SNMP Agent, ICMP, Port Scanning, DNS, DHCP, SMTP, HTTP, Service;

Optimization Design of Patch Antenna by Introduction of Capacitive Patch

A research article was submitted to 12th International Symposium on Antennas, Propagation and EM Theory (ISAPE), 2018An efficient method for integrating genetic algorithm (GA) with method of moments for capacitive patch antenna design has been presented. The movement of capacitive patch within the antenna model and its length are controlled by GA in the search of the best electrical characteristics that satisfy/close to the fitting value. Method demonstrate the design of antenna and manipulation of the electrical specification of the design antenna. Antenna model was formed by right angle triangle wire grid model

GSM Network Optimization And Planning For Nelson Mandela African Institute Of Science And Technology

GSM network planning and optimization processes take in consideration a number of network parameters. In order to improve the network Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used as a guiding points. This paper has taken Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology as case study for network optimization. Index terms— MS- Mobile Station, TRX- Transmitter Receiver Unit, BTS- Base Transceiver System, BSC-Base Station Controller, KPI- Key Performance Indicators, QoS- Quality of Service, GFA- Ground Floor Wing A, FFA- First Floor Wing A

Coverage Prediction of an AP by using SINR Analysis and Users Density Estimation

In W-LANs a single hop is all that is necessary or in fact acceptable. The region of connectivity around a given source is known as its coverage area. Commonly, a source and a destination may communicate using one or more intermediate relays, in which case a path through the network must be found where each hop has a SINR greater than ß. There are several ways to portray and quantify network connectivity, but at the core, they all require that individual pairs be are able to communicate, which is dictated by the SINR. This paper is going to take a survey on AP coverage based on interference analysis (within a cell for connected nodes) and user density estimation but also it will try to determine the radial distance where the far distance user is tolerable to interfere with a near user (Near far effect) to the AP in perspective of received signal strength and channel fading. Keywords: SINR, users’ density, ß, coverage  

Towards an Integrated Mobile Technology on Animal Disease Surveillance Framework in Tanzania: A Systematic Review

Tanzanian Government, through its national audit office in March 2020, reported the prevalence decline of two animal diseases, namely; Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP). Similarly, an increase in three animal diseases, which are African Swine Fever (ASV), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). The national audit office mentioned inadequate animal disease surveillance system in the country was among the challenges that hinder diseases control. Therefore, this study reviews the existing animal diseases surveillance systems global and suggests measures to enhance animal diseases surveillance systems in Tanzania. This review focuses on the possibility of sharing surveillance data among livestock stakeholders (including livestock keepers) in Tanzania, considering available resources such as animal diseases existing prediction models and mobile-based surveillance systems. Also, the availability of mobile technologies such as Short Message Service (SMS), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and automatic voice calls (Robocalls). Reviews synthesize the previous studies to explore strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and challenges for better future interventions through proper and timely information sharing. This study selected 46 records from the 147 identified for review. The selected records include 24 from bibliographic databases, 14 from full-text journals and other non-bibliographic databases, and 8 from the open search on websitesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Vehicle Plate Number Detection and Recognition Using Improved Algorithm

The growing Tanzanian population currently estimated to be 48 Million people and their use of vehicles as means of transport has kept increasing making enforcing traffic rules and regulations among road users a major challenge. This calls for a need to have an automated system that monitors the motorists with a pre-defined sense of intelligence. A Vehicle Detection and Recognition Algorithm which can provide automated access to relevant information to a number plate from information systems containing and managing databases on vehicle and their movements is required. This paper presents work on developed algorithm that localizes plate area, extract and segment character, and finally recognizes and interprets registration number from vehicle image. MATLAB R2012b Simulation software with Image Processing toolbox is employed. HSV color space image, morphological and statistical analysis operations were integrated and employed to a vehicle image to compute plate number area. In segmentation the properties like aspect ratio, extent, and area ratio were important measurement parameters. Finally, the template matching database and statistical character extracted from car image was correlated to recognize alphanumeric character to deduce car registration number.   Keywords— Character extraction, Detection algorithm, Recognition algorithm, Morphological matching, Template matchin

Access and use of agricultural market information by smallholder farmers: Measuring informational capabilities

A research article was submitted to Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries Volume86, Issue6 November 2020While farmers sell their crops, middlemen provide a linkage between them, markets and buyers. Middlemen have good knowledge of working conditions of markets and have access to agricultural market information. Due to poor access to markets and agricultural market information by smallholders, there is a feeling that middlemen benefit more while farmers sell their crops. Good access to markets and market information may help farmers bypass middlemen while selling crops and thus benefit more. Thus, it is best to improve the informational capabilities (ICs) of farmers in agricultural marketing. Thus, this research measured ICs of farmers accessing market information, through a program NINAYO, while selling their crops. The research utilized the informational, psychological, social, and economic dimensions of the empowerment framework in identifying capability indicators to formulate survey questions. Data were collected from smallholders in six regions in Tanzania. The analysis utilized measures of life satisfaction and results showed that about half of the variation in the dependent variable, satisfaction with capabilities, was explained by the model. Backward elimination analysis confirmed that life satisfaction is multidimensional. Robustness test confirmed a positive relationship between satisfaction and capabilities. Overall, results confirmed ICs are multidimensions, their improvement empowers farmers in agricultural marketing

Design of Soft Viterbi Algorithm Decoder Enhanced With Non-Transmittable Codewords for Storage Media

Viterbi Algorithm Decoder Enhanced with Non-transmittable Codewords is one of the best decoding algorithm which effectively improves forward error correction performance. HoweverViterbi decoder enhanced with NTCs is not yet designed to work in storage media devices. Currently Reed Solomon (RS) Algorithm is almost the dominant algorithm used in correcting error in storage media. Conversely, recent studies show that there still exist low reliability of data in storage media while the demand for storage media increases drastically. This study proposes a design of the Soft Viterbi Algorithm decoder enhanced with Non-transmittable Codewords (SVAD-NTCs) to be used in storage media for error correction. Matlab simulation was used in this design in order to investigate behavior and effectiveness of SVAD-NTCs in correcting errors in data retrieving from storage media.Sample data of one million bits are randomly generated, Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) was used as data distortion model and Binary Phase- Shift Keying (BPSK) was applied for simulation modulation. Results show that,behaviors of SVAD-NTC performance increase as you increase the NTCs, but beyond 6NTCs there is no significant change and SVAD-NTCs design drastically reduce the total residual error from 216,878 of Reed Solomon to 23,900