Measurement Uncertainty in Decision Assessment for Telecommunication Systems

This paper deals with the effects of measurement uncertainty on decision making. In particular, conformance tests for communication systems equipment are considered, with respect to both consumer and producer risk and the effects of such parameters on the overall costs

Inverse Problems with SVMs-based Run-Time Reconfigurable Systems

In this paper we discuss the performances of an FPGA-based architecture which solves an inverse modeling problem. The case study is a typical telecommunication task where the hardware implementation, on the receiver side, is of paramount importance. A reconfigurable device is used in order to build a complete System on Chip implementing an efficient learning by examples technique

Management of Distributed Measurement Systems Based on Abstract Client-Server Paradigms

This paper describes in detail a Java-based, clientserver architecture specifically conceived to allow a flexible control of remote devices. The main attributes of the proposed solution are portability and flexibility. The former feature is assured by the employment of the TCP/IP protocol suite and by the Java language properties. The latter is due to the high level of abstraction of the system implementation, that addresses multi-user issues and a wide range of possible applications with a high code reusability. In particular, the proposed architecture can be easily upgraded so as to fit different kinds of devices, by simply adding a limited amount of code on the server-side of the overall system

Metodologie di progettazione e caratterizzazione di sistemi di misura ad apprendimento e dinamicamente riconfigurabili

Questa memoria si propone di descrivere le attività di ricerca in atto presso l’Unità di Trento per quanto riguarda lo studio, l’implementazione e l’analisi delle prestazioni di sistemi di misura ad apprendimento e dinamicamente riconfigurabili. Vengono descritte le motivazioni che hanno portato a scegliere un’implementazione di tali sistemi mediante componenti FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Sono infine riportati i principali risultati ottenuti relativamente a un sistema di equalizzazione di un canale di trasmissione digitale

A Criterion of stability for High-Accuracy Digital Oscillators based on Delta-Sigma Modulators

The quick evolution of integrated circuit (IC) technologies towards complex System-on-Chips (SoCs) architectures has been recently promoting many research efforts aimed at reducing test-related costs. In fact, actual measurement and testing expenses of high-density, mixed-signal devices may cover almost 50% of the whole production budget. A well-known strategy to cope with these problems is Built-In Self-Test (BIST), which relies on the integration of specific testing-oriented resources directly on chip. In particular, inexpensive, high-purity harmonic resonators are essential components for an accurate and fast characterization of the analog-to-digital converters (ADC) integrated in the same device. Delta-sigma harmonic resonators are apt to this purpose. Nevertheless, they have also proved to be critically stable and difficult to implement due to the lack of clear design criteria. This paper propose to fill this gap by presenting a general method to analyze the behavior of delta-sigma resonators, thus suggesting useful guidelines for the implementation of more stable and robust schemes

Electro-Mechanical Performance Analysis of RF MEMS Switches

The feasibility of integrating the RF MEMS switches in space and wireless communication systems has generated tremendous interest in related design, fabrication and characterization methodologies. The space applications make long term reliability of the devices a very pertinent issue and involves both the process and device characterization. In this paper we describe the experimental setup and measurement results on RF MEMS switches fabricated for DC to 30GHz applications. The on-wafer experimental setup, based on standard manual microprobe station provides dual pulse actuation voltage waveforms with programmable period and amplitude. The usefulness of the dual-pulse testing is demonstrated by the minimal charge generation in the dielectric layer and capacitance measurements with negligible variations over long measurement periods

On-wafer electro-mechanical characterization of silicon MEMS switches

The feasibility of integrating the RF MEMS switeches in space and wireless communication systems has generated tremendous interest in related design, fabrication and characterization methodologies. The space applications make long term reliability of the devices a very pertinent issue and involves both the process and device characterization. In this paper we describe the experimental stup and measurement results on RF MEMS switches fabricated for DC to 30GHz applications. The on-wafer experimental setup, based on standard manual microprobe station provides dual pulse actuation voltage waveforms with programmable period and amplitude, ranging from 10-5 to 1sec and 0-200 volts respectively. The usefulness of the dual-pulse testing is demonstrated by the minimal charge generation in the dielectric layer and capacitance measurements with negligible variations over long measurement period