Analysis of the normalized LMS optimum solution in the context of channel equalization

Albeit being presented as an alternative to the classical least-mean-square (LMS) algorithm, the normalized LMS (NLMS) actually deals with a modified mean squared error (MSE) cost function, so that the expected optimum solution may differ from the Wiener solution. In this work, we perform an investigation concerning the question as to whether such difference may arise in the context of the channel equalization problem by considering a representative set of transmitted signal modulations, channel models and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. Additionally, we analyze the influence of the potential deviation from the optimal solution on the performance of the equalizer3312230CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQnão te

A study on the application of bio-inspired algorithms to the problem of direction of arrival estimation

The classical solution to the problem of estimating the direction of arrival (DOA) of plane waves impinging on a sensor array is based on the application of the maximum likelihood method. This approach leads to the problem of optimizing a cost function which is non-linear, non-quadratic, multimodal and variant with respect to the signal-noise ratio (SNR). The methods proposed in the literature to solve this problem fail for a wide set of SNR values. This work presents the results obtained from a study on the application of natural computing algorithms to the DOA estimation problem. Computational simulations show that four of the analyzed algorithms find the global optimum for a broad range of SNR values with computational efforts lower than that associated with an exaustive search.A solução clássica para o problema de estimação dos ângulos de chegada (DOA) de sinais incidindo em um arranjo de sensores é a aplicação do método de máxima verossimilhança. Este método leva ao problema de otimização de uma função custo não-linear, não-quadrática, multimodal e variante com a relação sinal-ruído (SNR). Os métodos propostos para tal tarefa, presentes na literatura, falham em uma ampla gama de valores de SNR. Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo sobre a aplicação de ferramentas pertencentes à computação natural ao problema de estimação DOA. Simulações demonstram que quatro dos algoritmos analisados alcançam o ótimo global para uma ampla faixa de valores de SNR, com esforços computacionais inferiores àquele exigido por uma busca exaustiva.60962

Application of natural computing to the problem of estimating the direction of arrival

Resumo: O problema de estimação de direção de chegada (DOA, em inglês direction of arrival ) de ondas planas que incidem sobre um arranjo linear uniforme de sensores, através do critério da máxima verossimilhança (ML, em inglês maximum likelihood), requer a minimização de uma função custo não-linear, não-quadrática, multimodal e variante com a relação sinal-ruído (SNR, em inglês signal-to-noise ratio). Esta dissertação trata da aplicação de algoritmos de computação natural como alternativa ao uso de métodos clássicos, como o MODE e o MODEX, os quais não são capazes de alcançar o desempenho do estimador ML em uma ampla faixa de valores de SNR. As simulações realizadas em diferentes cenários indicam que alguns dos algoritmos analisados conseguem estimar os ângulos de chegada adequadamente. Por fim, inspirados em uma proposta de filtragem de ruído dos dados recebidos, elaboramos uma maneira de realizar a amostragem no espaço de soluções candidatas: a resposta em frequência do filtro que produz a maior atenuação de ruído é empregada como função densidade de probabilidade no processo de amostragem. Os resultados obtidos atestam que este procedimento tende a aumentar a eficiência dos algoritmos estudados na estimação DOAAbstract: The problem of estimating the direction of arrival (DOA) of plane waves impinging on a uniform linear array of sensors, through the maximum likelihood (ML) criterion, requires the minimization of a cost function that is non-linear, non-quadratic, multimodal and variant with the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This work deals with the application of natural computing algorithms as an alternative to the use of classical methods, such as MODE and MODEX, which are not capable of achieving the performance of the ML estimator in a wide range of SNR values. The simulations performed in different scenarios indicate that some of the studied algorithms can adequately estimate the angles of arrival. Finally, inspired by a proposal of noise filtering of the received data, we designed a procedure of sampling the search space: the frequency response of the filter which produces the maximal noise reduction is employed as the probability density function during the sampling process. The obtained results attest that this procedure tends to increase the efficiency of the considered algorithms in DOA estimatio

Self-organization and lateral interaction in echo state network reservoirs

Echo state networks (ESNs) are recurrent structures that give rise to an interesting trade-off between achievable performance and tractability. This is a consequence of the fact that the key element of these networks – the recurrent intermediate layer known as dynamical reservoir – is not, as a rule, subject to supervised training, which is restricted to the linear output layer, also termed as readout. This trade-off, aside from being of theoretical significance, establishes ESNs as most attractive tools for both online and offline information processing. There are two key aspects to be taken into account in the ESN design: (i) the unsupervised definition of the synaptic weights of the reservoir and (ii) the definition of the structure and of the training strategy associated with the readout. This work is concerned with the first of these aspects: it proposes novel strategies for ESN reservoir design based on the theoretical framework built by Kohonen׳s classical works on self-organization – which includes the notions of short-range positive feedback and lateral inhibition – and also on the related and more recent notion of neural gas. It is shown, with the aid of a representative set of simulation results, that the proposed methodologies are capable of leading to significant performance improvements in the context of relevant information processing tasks – channel equalization and chaotic time series prediction – particularly when the input data suits well a cluster-based profile138297309CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPnão temnão tem2010/51027-

Error Entropy Criterion in Echo State Network Training

Abstract. Echo state networks offer a promising possibility for an effective use of recurrent structures as the presence of feedback is accompanied with a relatively simple training process. However, such simplicity, which is obtained through the use of an adaptive linear readout that minimizes the mean-squared error, limits the capability of exploring the statistical information of the involved signals. In this work, we apply an informationtheoretic learning framework, based on the error entropy criterion, to the ESN training, in order to improve the performance of the neural model, whose advantages are analyzed in the context of supervised channel equalization problem.

Prototype Open Event Reconstruction Pipeline for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next-generation gamma-ray observatory currently under construction. It will improve over the current generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) by a factor of five to ten in sensitivity and it will be able to observe the whole sky from a combination of two sites: a northern site in La Palma, Spain, and a southern one in Paranal, Chile. CTA will also be the first open gamma-ray observatory. Accordingly, the data analysis pipeline is developed as open-source software. The event reconstruction pipeline accepts raw data of the telescopes and processes it to produce suitable input for the higher-level science tools. Its primary tasks include reconstructing the physical properties of each recorded shower and providing the corresponding instrument response functions. ctapipe is a framework providing algorithms and tools to facilitate raw data calibration, image extraction, image parameterization and event reconstruction. Its main focus is currently the analysis of simulated data but it has also been successfully applied for the analysis of data obtained with the first CTA prototype telescopes, such as the Large-Sized Telescope 1 (LST-1). pyirf is a library to calculate IACT instrument response functions, needed to obtain physics results like spectra and light curves, from the reconstructed event lists. Building on these two, protopipe is a prototype for the event reconstruction pipeline for CTA. Recent developments in these software packages will be presented

Southern African Large Telescope Spectroscopy of BL Lacs for the CTA project

In the last two decades, very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy has reached maturity: over 200 sources have been detected, both Galactic and extragalactic, by ground-based experiments. At present, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) make up about 40% of the more than 200 sources detected at very high energies with ground-based telescopes, the majority of which are blazars, i.e. their jets are closely aligned with the line of sight to Earth and three quarters of which are classified as high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects. One challenge to studies of the cosmological evolution of BL Lacs is the difficulty of obtaining redshifts from their nearly featureless, continuum-dominated spectra. It is expected that a significant fraction of the AGN to be detected with the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory will have no spectroscopic redshifts, compromising the reliability of BL Lac population studies, particularly of their cosmic evolution. We started an effort in 2019 to measure the redshifts of a large fraction of the AGN that are likely to be detected with CTA, using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). In this contribution, we present two results from an on-going SALT program focused on the determination of BL Lac object redshifts that will be relevant for the CTA observatory