Uplink data measurement and analysis for 5G eCPRI radio unit

Abstract. The new 5G mobile network generation aims to enhance the performance of the cellular network in almost every possible aspect, offering higher data rates, lower latencies, and massive number of network connections. Arguably the most important change from LTE are the new RU-BBU split options for 5G promoted by 3GPP and other organizations. Another big conceptual shift introduced with 5G is the open RAN concept, pushed forward by organizations such as the O-RAN alliance. O-RAN aims to standardize the interfaces between different RAN elements in a way that promotes vendor interoperability and lowers the entry barrier for new equipment suppliers. Moreover, the 7-2x split option standardized by O-RAN has risen as the most important option within the different low layer split options. As the fronthaul interface, O-RAN has selected the packet-based eCPRI protocol, which has been designed to be more flexible and dynamic in terms of transport network and data-rates compared to its predecessor CPRI. Due to being a new interface, tools to analyse data from this interface are lacking. In this thesis, a new, Python-based data analysis tool for UL eCPRI data was created for data quality validation purposes from any O-RAN 7-2x functional split based 5G eCPRI radio unit. The main goal for this was to provide concrete KPIs from captured data, including timing offset, signal power level and error vector magnitude. The tool produces visual and text-based outputs that can be used in both manual and automated testing. The tool has enhanced eCPRI UL datapath testing in radio unit integration teams by providing actual quality metrics and enabling test automation.Uplink datamittaukset ja -analyysi 5G eCPRI radiolla. Tiivistelmä. Uusi 5G mobiiliverkkogeneraatio tuo mukanaan parannuksia lähes kaikkiin mobiiliverkon ominaisuuksiin, tarjoten nopeamman datasiirron, pienemmät viiveet ja valtavat laiteverkostot. Luultavasti tärkein muutos LTE teknologiasta ovat 3GPP:n ja muiden organisaatioiden ehdottamat uudet radion ja systeemimoduulin väliset funktionaaliset jakovaihtoehdot. Toinen huomattava muutos 5G:ssä on O-RAN:in ajama avoimen RAN:in konsepti, jonka tarkoituksena on standardisoida verkkolaitteiden väliset rajapinnat niin, että RAN voidaan rakentaa eri valmistajien laitteista, laskien uusien laitevalmistajien kynnystä astua verkkolaitemarkkinoille. O-RAN:n standardisoima 7-2x funktionaalinen jako on noussut tärkeimmäksi alemman tason jakovaihtoehdoista. Fronthaul rajapinnan protokollaksi O-RAN on valinnut pakettitiedonsiirtoon perustuvan eCPRI:n, joka on suunniteltu dynaamisemmaksi ja joustavammaksi datanopeuksien ja lähetysverkon suhteen kuin edeltävä CPRI protokolla. Uutena protokollana, eCPRI rajapinnalle soveltuvia data-analyysityökaluja ei ole juurikaan saatavilla. Tässä työssä luotiin uusi pythonpohjainen data-analyysityökalu UL suunnan eCPRI datalle, jotta datan laatu voidaan määrittää millä tahansa O-RAN 7-2x funktionaaliseen jakoon perustuvalla 5G eCPRI radiolla. Työkalun päätarkoitus on analysoida ja kuvata datan laatua laskemalla datan ajoitusoffsettia, tehotasoa, sekä EVM:ää. Työkalu tuottaa tulokset visuaalisena ja tekstipohjaisena, jotta analyysia voidaan tehdä niin manuaalisessa kuin automaattisessa testauksessa. Työkalun käyttöönotto on tehostanut UL suunnan dataputken testausta radio-integrointitiimeissä, tarjoten datan laatua kuvaavaa metriikkaa sekä mahdollistaen testauksen automatisoinnin

Health-related factors for work participation in persons with spinal cord injury in Finland

Objective: To explore work participation and the health-related factors affecting work participation among the Finnish Spinal Cord injury (FinSCI) study population (n = 884). Methods: A cross-sectional explorative observational study in the FinSCI community survey applying Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) forms on Social Health and Global Health. Analyses of socio-demographic and injury-related data were performed. Results: Employment among the study population (n = 452) was 26.5%. Physical, Mental, Social and General Health were better in the employed group compared with work-age persons not working. Logistic regression showed that work participation was related to all health domains, but Physical Health and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities in Social Health were the strongest indicators of likelihood of being at work. Paraplegia and young age were associated with increased likelihood of work participation. Conclusion: The first national survey among people with spinal cord injury in Finland shows low level of employment. The results suggest that pain, physical function, and ability to participate in social roles should be monitored by health and vocational professionals when assessing a person's likelihood of being in work.Peer reviewe

Link-level performance of FM-UWB in the interfered IEEE 802.15.6 channel

Abstract This paper provides simulation results of the frequency modulated ultra wideband (FM-UWB) system with channel coding in an interfered IEEE 802.15.6 channel. The paper discusses a FM-UWB receiver structure and presents the developed simulator model. The receiver applies a delay-line modulator followed by an amplitude modulation projection detection. A channel model used is the IEEE 802.15.6 channel model 3 for an on-body link. An interference is modeled as a colored Gaussian noise presenting an in-band IEEE 802.15.4 interferer. The simulation results show that the FM-UWB system can tolerate as low as -6 dB signal-to-interference power ratios (SIR) in the studied scenarios

Three interactive scenes of The Crystal Cabinet

This article focus’ on three interactive scenes from The Crystal Cabinet (2008) producing singular scenic subjects as an effect of movement-body-technology-voice-word-connections. In three video excerpts I will elaborate on how two dancers and one opera singer, in an ambiguous way control, obey, command and succumb to the expressions and rhythms of a digital voice reading texts by William Blake. The interactive performance technology was developed and used as a way to acquire new rhythms and discover new kinetic possibilities in a non-hierarchic connection of body, movement and text. Rather than regarding the elaborations of the digital voice as the final outcome of the interaction, we wanted to set up a scenic situation where the rhythms of the voice where circled back to the performers bodies and elaboration of the choreography.Validerad; 2011; 20110511 (asauna)</p

Performance comparison between ETSI SmartBAN and bluetooth

Abstract This paper introduces the comparative performance analysis between ETSI SmartBAN and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) in the interfered additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel as well as in multipath fading channel. Both technologies are possible solutions for wireless body area networks (WBAN) to implement services like delivering the vital signs data of an individual. The results show how the SmartBAN can outperform BLE in both AWGN and fading channel. In addition, SmartBAN can take advantages of repetition and coding features, which are not present in BLE to increase its performance even more

ETSI SmartBAN system performance and coexistence verification for healthcare

Abstract ETSI Technical Committee (TC) Smart Body Area Network (SmartBAN) defines and specifies low power physical and medium access control layers for smart body area networks. Several use cases have been defined for SmartBAN, such as sleep monitoring, fall monitoring and apnea monitoring. The specialist task force 511 (STF511), working under ETSI TC SmartBAN, studied the performance of the system and evaluated coexistence with other wireless systems. In this paper, the simulator model based on the SmartBAN specification is introduced. Based on the simulation results, the receiver sensitivity for the SmartBAN system is defined. In addition, the interference model extracted from the measurements in the Oulu university hospital is discussed. This paper presents the summary of the simulation results based on the abovementioned interference models. The simulation results showed that when there is a high interference in a communication channel, the SmartBAN system cannot gain an acceptable frame error level without a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) repetition technique and a high signal-to-interference power ratio level (SIR). In a low interference scenario, repetition is also needed when SIR is less than 9 dB

Health, functioning and accessibility among spinal cord injury population in Finland:protocol for the FinSCI study

Abstract Background and purpose: The purpose of the Finnish Spinal Cord Injury Study (FinSCI) is to identify factors related to the health and functioning of people with spinal cord injury, their challenges with accessibility, and how such factors are interconnected. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is used as a structured framework in the study. Design: Protocol of mixed methods study. Results: Study participants were recruited from all 3 SCI outpatient clinics in Finland. The final target group consists of 1,789 subjects with spinal cord injury. The final questionnaire was formed from 5 different patient-reported instruments. The spinal cord injury-specified instruments are the Spinal Cord Injury Secondary Condition Scale, the Spinal Cord Independence Measure, and the Nottwil Environmental Factors Inventory Short Form. In addition, questions from the following generic instruments were chosen after a selection process: the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, PROMIS®, and the National Study of Health, Well-being and Service, FinSote. Altogether, the final questionnaire covers 64 ICF categories and consists of 151 ICF-linked questions. Conclusion: The formulated questionnaire covers widely different aspects of health, functioning and accessibility. The questionnaire results and subsequent interviews will help in developing care and rehabilitation policies and services for people with spinal cord injury

Prevalence of comorbidities and secondary health conditions among the Finnish population with spinal cord injury

Abstract Study design: A cross-sectional study. Objectives: To explore the prevalence of comorbidities, secondary health conditions (SHCs), and multimorbidity in the Finnish population with spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: The data were collected from the Finnish Spinal Cord Injury Study (FinSCI). Participants were identified from three SCI outpatient clinics responsible for the lifelong follow-up of persons with SCI in Finland, (n = 884 participants, response rate; 50%). Methods: The FinSCI-questionnaire included a question from the National Study of Health, Well-being, and Service (FinSote) for screening 12 comorbidities. The reference data of the general population for that question were received from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The Spinal Cord Injury Secondary Condition Scale (SCI-SCS) was used to screen 16 SHCs. The data were analysed with univariate testing and multivariable negative binomial regression modelling. Results: The most common comorbidities were high blood pressure/hypertension (38%), back problems (28%), and high cholesterol (22%). The most common SHCs were joint and muscle pain (81%), muscle spasms (74%), chronic pain (71%), and bowel problems (71%). The prevalence of comorbidities was highest among persons aged ≥76 years (mean; 2.0; scale range; 0–12). The prevalence of SHCs was highest in the severity of SCI group C1–4 AIS A, B, and C (mean; 8.9; scale range; 0–16). Conclusions: Further research on geriatrics in SCI, non-traumatic SCI, and knowledge of the needs of persons with cervical lesion AIS A, B, or C is required, due to the fact that the prevalence of multimorbidity is high in these groups

Generating Pareto Solutions in a Two-Party Setting: Constraint Proposal Methods

This paper presents a class of methods, called constraint proposal methods, for generating Pareto-optimal solutions in two-party negotiations. In these methods joint tangents of the decision makers' value functions are searched by adjusting an artificial plane constraint. The problem of generating Pareto-optimal solutions decomposes into ordinary multiple criteria decision-making problems for the individual decision makers and into a coordination problem for an assisting mediator. Depending on the numerical iteration scheme used to solve the coordination problem, different constraint proposal methods are obtained. We analyze and illustrate the behaviour of some iteration schemes by numerical examples using both precise and imprecise answers from decision makers. An example of a method belonging to the class under study is the RAMONA method, that has been previously described from a practical point of view. We present the underlying theory for it by describing it as a constraint proposal method, and include some applications.negotiation analysis, Pareto optimality, joint problem solving, multiple criteria

Functional independence in the Finnish spinal cord injury population

Abstract Study design: A cross-sectional survey of the Finnish population with spinal cord injury (FinSCI database). Objectives: To describe the functional independence of the population with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Finland and to identify how generic and lesion characteristics affect their functional independence. Setting: The participants were recruited from the registers of three SCI outpatient clinics responsible for lifelong follow-up and care for people with SCI in Finland. Methods: The data were retrieved from FinSCI (n = 1772). The response rate was 50% (n = 884). The Spinal Cord Independence Measure-Self Report (SCIM-SR) was used. The data were analyzed with univariate testing, factor analyses, and multiple linear regression models. Results: The median (percentiles 25; 75) SCIM-SR total score was 76.0 (58.8; 89.0), and the score was 18.0 (13.0; 20:0) for the self-care sub-scale, 33.0 (25.0; 39.0) for the respiration and sphincter management sub-scale and 29.0 (16.0; 36.8) for the mobility sub-scale. The higher the neurological level in groups AIS A, B, and C, the lower the functional ability. Group AIS D at any injury level had the highest level of functional ability. Age and the number of years since injury negatively influenced the SCIM-SR scores for every sub-scale. Conclusion: Based on the International Spinal Cord Injury Core Data Set, the severity of SCI can differentiate persons with SCI according to their functional ability. The results suggest that SCI affects individuals’ health more than ageing alone does, thereby reducing the functional ability and independence of persons with SCI over time