Systems and Communications Commons^™

Sign Language Glove, Nicholas Born

Electrical Engineering

Between 500,000 and 2 million Americans use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary language. As such, a device capable of translating those movements into text would be useful in many areas, such as teaching and the entertainment industry.

The goal of this project was to show that the creation of a glove device that takes in sign language letters, interprets them into the desired characters, and can input those characters into a computer is feasible. I chose to work on this project for many different reasons. One reason is many members of my family know sign language and use …

Touch Screen Sound Controller, James Fenley, Jonathan Law

Electrical Engineering

The Touch Screen Sound Controller sets out to explore the use of a touch screen as a sound control interface for the disk jockey profession. In addition, the project aims to provide an alternate means of transferring audio data by way of TCP/IP communications as opposed to MIDI. By applying our method, a user may stream pulse-code modulated data from a server onto a client’s RAM via an Ethernet connection. A 32bit, 200MHz ARM9 microprocessor addresses data from the RAM and proceeds with executing DSP instructions from the user. The connection between the touch screen and the central microprocessor is …

Modular Laser Combat System For Remotely Operated Vehicles: Bridging The Gap Between Computer Simulation And Live Fire, Thomas Edward Fulenwider

Master's Theses

In the emerging industry of small unmanned vehicles, pioneered by small businesses and research institutions, a suitable combat system test platform is needed. Computer simulations are useful, but do not provide the definitive proof of effective operation necessary for deployment of a combat system. What is needed is an affordable simulated weapons system that enables live flight testing without the used of live weaponry.

A framework is developed here for the construction of a simulated weapon using Free Space Optical (FSO) infrared communication. It is developed in such a way to ensure compatibility with a variety of platforms including ground …

5 Ghz Band Vehicle-To-Vehicle Channels: Models For Multiple Values Of Channel Bandwidth, Qiong Wu, David W. Matolak, Indranil Sen

Faculty Publications

In Sen and Matolak's earlier paper, 5-GHz-band vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) channel models were presented for channel bandwidths of 5 and 10 MHz. In this paper, we provide additional tapped delay line models for bandwidths of 1, 20, 33.33, and 50 MHz based upon the data used in Sen and Matolak's paper. We provide tables of channel parameters for five types of V2V channel classes and also include example tap correlation coefficients. Root-mean-square delay spread values are summarized, as are values of bandwidth for which the channel frequency correlation takes values of 0.7 and 0.5. As with the results from Sen and …

A Constant Conduction Angle Biased Rf Power Amplifier For Improved Linearization In Class C Operation, Greg Lacaille

Master's Theses

Class C power amplifiers offer higher efficiency than class B power amplifiers, but suffer from poor linearity. A feedback based biasing system to improve the linearity of a class C power amplifier is designed. A class B amplifier with a gain of 20 dB and 20 MHz bandwidth at 900 MHz acts as the launching point for the design. The biasing and output network of the class B power amplifier is modified to produce a class C amplifier at conduction angles of 180°, 162°, 126°, 90°, and 54°. A feedback based biasing system, which uses two matched and scaled down …

Aperture Coupled Microstrip Antenna Design And Analysis, Michael Paul Civerolo

Master's Theses

A linearly-polarized aperture coupled patch antenna design is characterized and optimized using HFSS antenna simulation software. This thesis focuses on the aperture coupled patch antenna due to the lack of fabrication and tuning documentation for the design of this antenna and its usefulness in arrays and orthogonally polarized communications. The goal of this thesis is to explore dimension effects on aperture coupled antenna performance, to develop a design and tuning procedure, and to describe performance effects through electromagnetic principles.

Antenna parameters examined in this study include the dimensions and locations of the substrates, feed line, ground plane coupling slot, and …

Negative Conductance Load Modulation Rf Power Amplifier, Cody R. Neslen

Master's Theses

The number of mobile wireless devices on the market has increased substantially over the last decade. The frequency spectrum has become crowded due to the number of devices demanding radio traffic and new modulation schemes have been developed to accommodate the number of users. These new modulation schemes have caused very poor efficiencies in power amplifiers for wireless transmission systems due to high peak-to-average power ratios (PAPR). This thesis first presents the issue with classical power amplifiers in modern modulation systems. A brief overview of current attempts to mitigate this issue is provided. A new RF power amplifier topology is …

Compact Spiral Loaded Printed Monopole Antenna, Xiulong Bao, Max Ammann

Conference Papers

A novel miniaturized printed monopole structure is proposed. The antenna comprises a printed monopole strip which is loaded by a spiral located on the rearside connected by a via. The inductive loading provided by the spiral enables considerable miniaturization of antenna. A parametric study of key dimensional parameters and groundplane are discussed.

A Pattern Reconfigurable Slot Antenna With Hybrid Feed, Matthias John, Max Ammann

Conference Papers

In this paper we investigate the design and operating principle of a pattern reconfigurable multi-mode slot antenna with a hybrid feed. The slot antenna is excited by an orthogonal arrangement of a co-planar waveguide (CPW) fed circular disc and a microstrip fed square patch. The design objective is to be able to change the direction of the main lobe by feeding the two orthogonal elements with different phases.

Reconfigurable Antenna With Elevation And Azimuth Beam Switching, S. Shynu, Max Ammann

Articles

A reconfigurable microstrip antenna is proposed for low-cost adaptive beam-switching applications. A small patch-slot-ring structure is used as the radiating element where an asymmetrical arrangement of p-i-n diodes is employed to switch the pattern in four directions. The antenna provides pattern switching of 65° and 45° in its fundamental mode for the elevation and azimuth planes, respectively. By maintaining the resonant frequency and beamwidth as relatively constant, beam switching is realized using a single feed point.

Pin Switch Protects Lna From Overloads, Chin-Leong Lim

Chin-Leong Lim

The objective of this paper is to describe how a Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuit (MMIC) can be paired with an external PIN diode bypass switch in the implementation of a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) with overload protection feature for mobile TV receiver applications. In the preliminary phase of the design, competing schemes for reducing LNA gain were reviewed and their respective cost-performance trade-offs were benchmarked against the customer’s set of requirements. Based on the selected design, a “proof of concept” prototype was then assembled and tested. The key components of this switch by-passable LNA were sourced from in-house product portfolio, …

Lna With A Bypass Mode Improves Overload Resistance For Mobile Tv, Chin-Leong Lim

Chin-Leong Lim

Objective: This paper describes how a Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuit (MMIC) can be paired with an external PIN diode bypass switch in the implementation of a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) with overload protection feature for mobile TV receiver applications.

Method: In the preliminary phase of the design, competing schemes for reducing LNA gain were reviewed and their respective cost-performance trade-offs were benchmarked against the customer’s set of requirements. Based on the selected design, a “proof of concept” prototype was then assembled and tested.

Material: The key components of this switch by-passable LNA were sourced from in-house product portfolio, consisting of …

Toward A Mobile Agent Relay Network, Hyon H. Kwak

Theses and Dissertations

Although wireless communication provides connectivity where hardwired links are difficult or impractical, it is still hindered by the environmental conditions where the communicators reside. Signal loss over large distances or because of intervening obstacles can be mitigated by increasing the user's transmission power or adding repeater nodes between the users. Unfortunately, increasing the signal strength strains limited power resources and increases the likelihood of eavesdropping. Stationary repeaters are impractical for highly mobile users in dangerous environments. While mobile relay nodes might be a preferred solution, a centralized control scheme saps bandwidth from important traffic and introduces a single point of …

Improved Multispectral Skin Detection And Its Application To Search Space Reduction For Dismount Detection Based On Histograms Of Oriented Gradients, Adam L. Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the general shift from conventional warfare to terrorism and urban warfare by enemies of the United States in the late 20th Century, locating and tracking individuals of interest have become critically important. Dismount detection and tracking are vital to provide security and intelligence in both combat and homeland defense scenarios including base defense, combat search and rescue (CSAR), and border patrol. This thesis focuses on exploiting recent advances in skin detection research to reliably detect dismounts in a scene. To this end, a signal-plus-noise model is developed to map modeled skin spectra to the imaging response of an …

An Approach To Large Scale Radar-Based Modeling And Simulation, Lester C. Long Iv

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a method of aggregating, or reducing the resolution, of a commonly available Department of Defense (DoD) simulation. It addresses the differences between varying levels of resolution and scope used in the DoD’s hierarchy of models pyramid. A data representation that aggregates engagement-level simulation data to use at a lower resolution level, the mission-level, is presented and analyzed. Two formats of implementing this data representation are developed and compared: the rigid cylinder format and the expanding tables format. The rigid cylinder format provides an intuitive way to visualize the data and is used to develop the theory. The …

Application Of The Three Short Calibration Technique In A Low Frequency Focus Beam System, William E. Gunn Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Electromagnetic material characterization is the process of determining the constitutive parameters of matter. In simple media, these parameters are permittivity and permeability. Characterization of these values is often accomplished through the use of waveguides, transmission lines, coaxial cables, and resonant cavities. Free space measurements systems are employed since they are non destructive (i.e., no sample machining is required) and broadband. Traditionally, time domain gating is utilized to mitigate systematic errors. However, an artifact of this calibration technique is band edge corruption due to data windowing. The goal of this research is to develop and apply a Three Short Calibration Technique …

Modeling Computer Communication Networks In A Realistic 3d Environment, Charles R. Rowell Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Communication network simulations have typically been visualized in the past through 2D representations, but this is insufficient for battlefield network scenarios. Visual representations of battlefield networks greatly benefit from 3D visualization due to its ability to retain asset location. This research investigates the feasibility of modeling a typical battlefield communication network in a realistic 3D manner and discusses the effects of doing so. The result is an open source, 3D network visualization tool that can create highly intuitive connected battlefield scenes, enabling the user to quickly comprehend network state. It highlights mobile assets, packet movement, and node connectivity while allowing …

Development Of A Methodology For Customizing Insider Threat Auditing On A Linux Operating System, William T. Bai

Theses and Dissertations

Insider threats can pose a great risk to organizations and by their very nature are difficult to protect against. Auditing and system logging are capabilities present in most operating systems and can be used for detecting insider activity. However, current auditing methods are typically applied in a haphazard way, if at all, and are not conducive to contributing to an effective insider threat security policy. This research develops a methodology for designing a customized auditing and logging template for a Linux operating system. An intent-based insider threat risk assessment methodology is presented to create use case scenarios tailored to address …

Scalable And Fault Tolerant Group Key Management, Nicholas A. Lupien

Theses and Dissertations

To address the group key management problem for modern networks this research proposes a lightweight group key management protocol with a gossip-based dissemination routine. Experiments show that by slightly increasing workload for the key update mechanism, this protocol is superior to currently available tree-based protocols with respect to reliability and fault tolerance, while remaining scalable to large groups. Java simulations show that the protocol efficiently distributes keys to large groups in the midst of up to 35 percent node failure rates. In addition, it eliminates the need for logical key hierarchy while preserving an overall reduction in rekey messages to …

Static And Dynamic Component Obfuscation On Reconfigurable Devices, Camdon R. Cady

Theses and Dissertations

Computing systems are used in virtually every aspect of our lives. Technology such as smart phones and electronically controlled subsystems in cars is becoming so commonly used that it is virtually ubiquitous. Sometimes, this technology can be exploited to perform functions that it was never intended to perform, or fail to provide information that it is supposed to protect. X-HIA was shown to be effective at identifying several circuit components in a significantly shorter time than previous identification methods. Instead of requiring a number of input/output pairings that grows factorially or exponentially as the circuit size grows, it requires only …