Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Computer Vision Methods For Detecting Counterfeit Usd Bills, Tyler W. Jones

Master's Theses

This thesis addresses the global challenge of counterfeit paper currency by proposing a classical computer vision framework for distinguishing genuine United States Dollar (USD) bills from counterfeit ones using image data. In contrast to existing approaches that rely on a large number of easily reproducible visual features, this work prioritizes the detection of a single, robust security feature: the ultraviolet (UV) reactive security strip embedded in genuine USD bills of denominations $5 and above. By focusing on a feature that is inherently difficult to replicate, the proposed method reduces the likelihood of counterfeit bills being misclassified as genuine.

The system …

Foundation For A Digital Beamforming System Using Software Defined Radio, Daniel Cruz Guerrero, Shiron Bendrihem, Benjamin Tucker

Electrical Engineering

This report demonstrates a basis for the foundation of a software-defined radio (SDR)-based digital beam forming system. Specifically, a discussion of time, frequency, and phase synchronization is had in the absence of costly hardware like an OctoClock. Furthermore, this report digs deep into the design process and device characterization of a 4-way Wilkinson Power Divider, which is a necessary hardware component for phase calibration. SDR synchronization and calibration are critical in any digital beamforming system.

Design And Characterization Of A Pulsed Electric Field Chamber For Microalgae Lysis, Connor Strutin

Electrical Engineering

Microalgae are a promising renewable source of biofuel due to their high lipid content and rapid growth rates; however, algae cells must be electroporated (lysed) to release these lipids. The system developed in this project applies short (40 μs–10 ms), high-intensity (up to 33 kV/cm) pulsed electric fields (PEF) across cell membranes to enable electroporation.

Our lab-scale PEF chamber generates uniform, high-intensity electric fields using parallel-plate electrodes with sub-millimeter spacing. The system is designed to efficiently lyse microalgae cells for lipid extraction and biofuel production.

Maximum Power Point Tracking For Photovoltaic Cells, Rodrigo Menchaca-Ramirez, Jesus Martinez, Steven Rodriguez

Electrical Engineering

Unlike an ideal DC Power Supply, a solar panel does not operate with linear I-V Characteristics. The voltage and current characteristics of a solar panel change based on irradiance, temperature, weather conditions, and load demand. Because of these factors, solar panels do not always operate at their Maximum Power Point, which can lead to significant power losses. Maximum Power Point Tracking is used to adjust the panel operating point so that more usable power can be delivered to the load.This project developed a Maximum Power Point Tracking system using an STM32 Nucleo-L4A6ZG microcontroller and an LT8705A DC-DC converter stage. The …

Design And Parametric Study Of A Mems-Based Reservoir Computer For Reinforcement Learning, Andrew P. Carr

Master's Theses

Single-node reservoir computing (RC) is a hardware-efficient approach to machine learning, leveraging the dynamics of physical systems. In this work, two reinforcement learning algorithms, Q-learning and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), are applied to a simulated micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)-based reservoir computer to solve both discrete and continuous control tasks. MEMS-based reservoirs are low-power, compact, and their natural frequencies (kHz to MHz) pair well with real-time control loops. To explore the relationship between reservoir dynamics and learning performance, a parametric study is conducted on two reservoir hyperparameters, reservoir size and neuron separation, using CartPole-v1 and MountainCar-v0. The RC successfully learns multiple tasks …

Alford Loop Antennas For Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Detection, John K. Kimura

Master's Theses

The neutrino is a fundamental particle of matter emitted by high energy phenomena, such as supernovae and black holes. Detecting neutrinos can give scientists information regarding the frequency of high-energy cosmic events, as well as point them towards specific high-energy events. Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrino interactions in Greenland ice result in electromagnetic pulses between 200MHz and 800MHz. The Radio Neutrino Observatory - Greenland (RNO-G) seeks to observe the resultant electromagnetic waves. The Alford Loop antenna is proposed to detect these emissions, because of its dipole-like radiation pattern, horizontal polarization, and adequate dimensions to fit in a 10" diameter ice borehole. …

Practical Multimodal Wearable Sensing For Functional Upper Extremity Primitive Classification With Application To Stroke Rehabilitation, Nicholas Weiss

Master's Theses

Stroke often causes long-term weakness and impaired motor control in the upper extremity (UE), making everyday tasks such as reaching, grasping, and moving objects more difficult. Restoring functional arm use is therefore a central goal of post-stroke rehabilitation. Measuring affected arm use continuously and objectively is important because isolated clinical assessments may not fully capture how the affected arm is used during therapy or daily life. Wearable sensors offer a promising approach for monitoring, but raw sensor signals are difficult to interpret directly. Functional movement primitives address this issue by describing UE behavior as smaller, task-agnostic movement units.

This thesis …

Real Time Grid Connected Der Inverter Control Fault Ride Through Model In Accordance With Ieee 1547–2018 Standard, Mark Joseph Booge

Masters Theses

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) include inverter-based power generation units, which are increasing in demand due to the rising consumption of energy, need for improved grid stability, and other environmental factors. DERs can either supply or supplement the grid using different control strategies depending on the grid’s needs. IEEE standard 1547-2018 dictates the interconnection and operation requirements of grid-connected DERs under nominal and abnormal voltage conditions. Although inverter ride-through operation has been widely studied, the effects of the standard’s time-based requirements within a distribution grid system require further investigation.

This study investigates how the IEEE 1547-2018 time-based ride-through requirements affect a …

A Novel Multi−Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework For Fast Frequency Response In Inverter−Based Hybrid Power Plants, Muhammad Ikram, Asma Aziz, Daryoush Habibi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The increasing penetration of inverter−based resources (IBR) in power grids necessitates novel control techniques to deliver advanced ancillary services such as fast frequency response (FFR), crucial for ensuring power system stability. Existing schemes−droop control, virtual synchronous generator (VSG), and hybrid approaches−require full observability, and centralized control, which are unsuitable for utility−scale hybrid power plant (HPP) with a distributed grid−forming inverter (GFMI). In addition, it lacks adaptive control capabilities in response to real−time disturbances according to the IEEE 2800−2022 standard. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a design of a novel multi−agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) framework for utility−scale IBR−dominated …

Rf Fingerprinting: Neural Networks For Device Identification, Pranav Chainani, Maxwell Gertner, Genevieve Patmore

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

Conventional cybersecurity protocols authenticate devices using digital credentials that can be stolen, copied, or extracted from compromised hardware. Radio frequency (RF) fingerprinting offers a complementary physical-layer authentication mechanism that binds device identity to the unforgeable manufacturing variations present in every transmitter’s analog hardware. This thesis explores the application of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to RF fingerprinting, focusing on the identification of nominally identical IoT transmitters from raw I/Q samples of the LoRa preamble’s turn-on transient.

We developed an end-to-end system consisting of a modular data collection testbench using a USRP B210 software-defined radio, a 1D CNN trained directly on raw …

Rf Target Identification With Custom Radar Systems, Francis Chau, Alfred Galindez, Austin Petersen

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

This project presents the design, construction, and testing of a low-cost Frequency- Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar system inspired by the MIT Coffee-Can Radar. The system was developed as a modular educational radar platform intended to demonstrate fundamental radar concepts while incorporating updated RF components, custom printed circuit board designs, and improved system-level testing. The radar architecture includes a triangle-wave modulator, voltage-controlled oscillator, attenuator, power amplifier, RF splitter, transmit and receive antennas, low-noise amplifier, mixer, SMA interconnects, and video amplifier.

The project focused on validating individual subsystems, characterizing the chirped RF output, tuning the antennas near the 2.4 GHz operating …

Santa Clara Radio Astronomy Project (Scrap) V, Alejandro Hernandez, Agustin Garcia

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

Santa Clara Radio Astronomy Project (SCRAP) V aims to develop an entirely operational, real-time platform software for an affordable radio telescope that can operate autonomously. This thesis describes the design and implementation process of the fifth generation project through concentrating on the following three key areas: the creation of the live data acquisition and visualization dashboard, thorough verification of the hardware chain received by us, and outdoor system protection from weather factors. The live data dashboard that was created in the MATLAB App Designer completely solved the architecture issues faced with its predecessor being the Python version of the system, …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Vibration On Signal Reflection In Coaxial Cable Connectors For Vibration Sensing In Aircraft Structures And Systems, Saidanvar Esanjonovich Valiev, Anthony C. Okafor, Jeremiah J. Rittenhouse, Daniel S. Stutts, Jie Huang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates the effects of vibration on signal reflection (S11) in aerospace data transmission line (ADTL) and commercial data transmission line (DTL) connectors for their alternative use as vibration sensors. The impact of vibration on the S11 signal was investigated on five ADTL and four DTL connectors at six vibration frequencies (20 Hz, 40 Hz, 80 Hz, 160 Hz, 320 Hz, and 640 Hz) and four vibration accelerations (0.5G, 1 G, 2 G, and 4G). The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with a cable type assigned as the main-plot factor, with vibration frequency and acceleration as subplot …

Pso-Style Social Influence In An Ant Colony Algorithm For Continuous-Domain Optimization, Ashraf M. Abdelbar, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

ACOR is a well-established Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm for continuous-domain optimization. In this paper, we propose an extension (which we call ACOR∗) in which several fundamental modifications are made to ACOR's solution construction process, including the incorporation of a social influence mechanism borrowed from Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Our modifications to the ACOR algorithm are intended to promote search diversity and combat premature convergence. We experimentally evaluate our proposal in the context of training feedforward neural networks for classification using 65 widely used datasets from the University of California Irvine (UCI) repository, as well as the optimization of several …

Multiplexed Fabry-Pérot High-Temperature Sensing Based On Dispersive Microwave-Photonic Frequency-Time Domain Analysis, Ruimin Jie, Chen Zhu, Bohong Zhang, Koustav Dey, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a multiplexed high-temperature Fabry-Pérot (FP) fiber sensing system interrogated by dispersive microwave-photonic frequency-time domain analysis (DM-FTDA). In the proposed architecture, incoherent broadband probing light is modulated by radio-frequency (RF) signals and then reflected by a parallel network of hollow-core photonic crystal fiber FP (HCPCF-FP) sensors. A chirped fiber Bragg grating provides strong dispersion to map the composite FP spectral response into a well-defined microwave transfer function. Unlike conventional optical Fourier-domain multiplexing that requires deliberate cavity-length allocation, the proposed approach achieves multiplexing via delay-dominated discrimination. Distinct delay fibers are assigned to each sensor branch, and an …

Adaptive Position Sensor Harmonic Compensation In Pmsm Drives, Gayan Dissanayake

Masters Theses

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines (PMSMs) have emerged as a preferred class of electromechanical energy converters due to their high efficiency, high torque density, and other inherent advantages. Accurate rotor position information is essential for proper commutation and effective field-oriented control (FOC), making precise position sensing critically important. In practice, however, harmonic errors introduced by the position sensing subsystem can lead to undesirable torque ripple and degraded performance. Most existing approaches for mitigating these errors are passive in nature and lack the capability to actively adapt to harmonic variations under changing operating conditions. Since the harmonic content in the position can …

High-Density Power Conversion: Analyzing High-Frequency Transformer Scaling Laws And Grid-Filter Efficacy In Integrated Charger Inverters, Thilina Lakshan Dissanayakage

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates frequency scaling in high-frequency transformer (HFT) used in Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converters and evaluates different LCL filter design methodologies for grid-connected applications. The study explores the impact of operating frequency on transformer size reduction, efficiency, and overall performance by analyzing HFT designs at 50 kHz, 100 kHz, and 400 kHz. It is expected that increasing the switching frequency enables significant reduction in transformer volume, while introducing trade-offs in efficiency due to increased core and copper losses. In parallel, the thesis examines and compares three LCL filter design approaches under identical operating conditions using a 1 kW …

Enabling Ml/Ai In 6g And Future Wireless Communication With Privacy Preservation, Mec Offloading And Quantum Computing, Changshi Zhou

Dissertations

The forthcoming sixth-generation (6G) and future wireless networks are envisioned to support an unprecedented range of services, delivering ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, and intelligent real-time responsiveness. These capabilities will enable emerging applications such as extended reality (XR), autonomous vehicles (AVs), industrial robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to reach their full potential. Achieving this vision requires the integration of enabling technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) and quantum computing, which are poised to play central roles in shaping the landscape of wireless communication systems.

In AI-native, data-driven, and computing-centric 6G networks, ML models will be deeply …

Holistic Dram Enhancements: From Intrinsic In-Memory Operations To Robust Security Mechanisms, Ranyang Zhou

Dissertations

Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) is both the performance bottleneck and a critical security boundary of modern computing systems. Its physical properties make it an attractive substrate for near-data computation—yet those same properties expose it to disturbance-based hardware attacks. This dissertation argues that these two dimensions are not independent: the architectural choices that make DRAM efficient also reshape its threat landscape. Addressing both requires a unified approach to memory architecture and security co-design.

The first part of this dissertation attacks the memory wall through four processing-in-DRAM (PIM) frameworks. ReD-LUT and LT-PIM unify lookup-table arithmetic with charge-sharing logic, achieving up to 37.8x …

Transcranial Ac Modulation Of Cerebellar Nuclear Activity In Awake Animals, Nuran Kavakli

Dissertations

Entrainment of cerebellar nuclear (CN) cells via cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) has been reported in animals under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. Our main objective was to demonstrate modulation of CN activity in unanesthetized, freely moving animals using ctACS. Multi-channel carbon-fiber electrodes were implanted into the interpositus nucleus for recording multi-unit (MU) activity, and thin-film electrodes were implanted subcutaneously over the posterior cerebellum for stimulation. A frequency-domain-based metric was developed to quantify modulation from MU signals. The results demonstrated modulation in a wide range of frequencies (4 Hz-300 Hz) as in anesthetized animals. In contrast, the amplitude of the peak in …