Measurement of the Structure Constant of Refractivity at Optical Wavelengths Using a Scintillometer

The structure constant of the atmospheric refractive index is used for characterizing the turbulence strength and for predicting the scintillation of electromagnetic waves in atmosphere. It is measured continuously in Prague using an optical scintillometer. First monthly and seasonal statistics obtained from the data gathered in the summer 2011 are provided. Lognormal distribution parameters are fitted to the empirical cumulative distribution. The hourly statistics of the structure constant show the typical evolution of turbulence strength during a day

Prussian Blue-coated interdigitated array electrodes for possible analytical application

Thin films of iron(III) hexacyanoferrate(II) (Prussian Blue) were electrochemically deposited on interdigitated array (IDA) electrodes, yielding systems which can be considered as chemiresistors in sensing alkali metal ion concentrations in an adjacent electrolyte. This is due to the fact that the conductivity of the film being measured by a steady-state current on application of a voltage to the two-fingered electrodes of the IDA depends on both the redox stare of the film and the cation concentration in the electrolyte. From the dependence of the steady-state current on the electrode (bias) potential at variable cation concentrations for different alkali metal ions and for mixtures of alkali metal ions, the possibilities of analytical application were elucidated. In addition, by using the methods of staircase coulometry and scanning conductivity, the electron diffusion coefficient De was determined as a function of the redox state of Prussian Blue. It is concluded that Prussian Blue-coated IDA electrodes are, in principle, suitable as chemiresistors for the determination of alkali metal ion concentrations with increasing selectivity in the series Li < Na < K < Rb < Cs

Propagation Characteristics and Availability Performance Assessment for Simulated Terrestrial Hybrid 850 nm/58 GHz System

Results of a propagation study on a free space optical link at 850 nm on a path 853 meters long and on a parallel 58 GHz radio link obtained over a 3-year period of observation are presented. The cumulative distributions of attenuation due to all of the hydrometeors combined as well as due to individual hydrometeors were obtained for both paths. The availability performances of the FSO link, the RF link and the simulated hybrid FSO/RF system were assessed. Significantly higher availability performance was achieved for the simulated hybrid FSO/RF system than for the FSO link alone. The diversity improvement factor reached significant values for attenuation greater than 5 dB and a significant diversity gain was obtained for the percentages of time smaller than 2%

Generator of Time Series of Rain Attenuation: Results of Parameter Extraction

Rain attenuation has a significant impact on the availability of millimeter wave communication systems. In order to dynamically simulate such radio systems, several generators of artificial time series of rain attenuation have been developed. This paper briefly describes the DLR channel model and presents the results of model parameter extraction from time series measured on terrestrial microwave paths in the Czech Republic

Precise Characterization and Multiobjective Optimization of Low Noise Amplifiers

Although practically all function blocks of the satellite navigation receivers are realized using the CMOS digital integrated circuits, it is appropriate to create a separate low noise antenna preamplifier based on a low noise pHEMT. Such an RF front end can be strongly optimized to attain a suitable tradeoff between the noise figure and transducer power gain. Further, as all the four principal navigation systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and COMPASS) work in similar frequency bands (roughly from 1.1 to 1.7 GHz), it is reasonable to create the low noise preamplifier for all of them. In the paper, a sophisticated method of the amplifier design is suggested based on multiobjective optimization. A substantial improvement of a standard optimization method is also outlined to satisfy a uniform coverage of Pareto front. Moreover, for enhancing efficiency of many times repeated solutions of large linear systems during the optimization, a new modification of the Markowitz criterion is suggested compatible with fast modes of the LU factorization. Extraordinary attention was also given to the accuracy of modeling. First, an extraction of pHEMT model parameters was performed including its noise part, and several models were compared. The extraction was carried out by an original identification procedure based on a combination of metaheuristic and direct methods. Second, the equations of the passive elements (including transmission lines and T-splitters) were carefully defined using frequency dispersion of their parameters as Q, ESR, etc. Third, an optimal selection of the operating point and essential passive elements was performed using the improved optimization method. Finally, the s-parameters and noise figure of the amplifier were measured, and stability and third-order intermodulation products were also checked

A Terrestrial Multiple-Receiver Radio Link Experiment at 10.7 GHz - Comparisons of Results with Parabolic Equation Calculations

This work presents the results of a terrestrial multiple-receiver radio link experiment at 10.7 GHz. Results are shown in the form of the power levels recorded at several antennas attached to a receiving mast. Comparisons of the measurement data with theoretical predictions using a parabolic equation technique show that, due to the complex propagation environment of the troposphere in terms of the refractive index of air, closer agreement between measurements and simulations can be achieved during periods of standard refractive conditions

BER and Availability Measured on FSO Link

The BER and the availability belong among the basic qualitative parameters of free space optical (FSO) links. The BER parameter is usually mentioned by FSO manufacturers, but it is not defined what conditions a certain value of BER stands for. This article deals with problems of measuring the BER of free space optical link and with questions how to determine the probability of unavailability of a certain link. The implementation of bit error rate tester with the E1 interface system is presented. In the article the statistics of the meteorological optical range for the year 2006 are shown. Using these data one can determine the probability of a certain value of atmospheric attenuation that influences the link unavailability