Engineering Commons^™

Performance Evaluation Of Video Streaming With Background Traffic Over Ieee 802.11 Wlan Networks, Nicola Cranley, Mark Davis

Conference papers

There is an increasing demand for multimedia streaming applications over WLAN networks. MPEG-4 and H.264 are compression standards targeted at high-quality streamed multimedia services over wireless best-effort IP networks. However, the dynamic nature of wireless networks in terms of fluctuating bandwidth and time-varying delays makes it difficult to provide good quality streaming under such constraints. Multimedia streaming applications are a demanding and challenging service to deliver over wireless networks. There is a trade-off between the capacity of the wireless network and the quality of the multimedia streaming application. In this paper we investigate the effect the background traffic load has …

The Human Eye Position Control System In A Rehabilitation Setting, Yvonne Nolan, Ted Burke, C. Boylan, Annraoi De Paor

Articles

Our work at Ireland’s National Rehabilitation Hospital involves designing communication systems for people suffering from profound physical disabilities. One such system uses the electro-oculogram, which is an (x,y) system of voltages picked up by pairs of electrodes placed, respectively, above and below and on either side of the eyes. The eyeball has a dc polarisation between cornea and back, arising from the photoreceptor rods and cones in the retina. As the eye rotates, the varying voltages projected onto the electrodes drive a cursor over a mimic keyboard on a computer screen. Symbols are selected with a switching action derived, for …

Performance Evaluation Of Resource Usage For Unicast Video Streaming Over Ieee 802.11 Wlan Networks, Nicola Cranley, Mark Davis

Conference papers

Multimedia streaming applications are a demanding and challenging service to deliver over wireless networks. Such services have a large impact on the resource requirements of the WLAN. However, there are many variables involved in video streaming, such as the video content being streamed, how the video is encoded and how it is sent. This makes the role of radio resource management and the provision of QoS guarantees extremely difficult. In this paper we investigate the network resource requirements for three scenarios: a single unicast video streaming session; multiple unicast video streaming sessions and finally multiple unicast streaming sessions in the …

An Assessment Of The Audio Codec Performance In Voice Over Wlan (Vowlan) Systems, Miroslaw Narbutt, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we present results of experimental investigation into the performance of three audio codecs (ITU-T G.711, G.723.1 and G.729A) under varying load conditions on a Voice over WLAN system utilizing the IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN standard. The analysis is based upon a new technique for estimating user satisfaction of speech quality calculated from packet delay and packet loss/late measurements. We also demonstrate the importance of the de-jitter buffer playout scheme for insuring speech quality. From our results we conclude that the use of the G.711 audio codec in conjunction with the new adaptive playout scheme gives the highest …

Assessing The Quality Of Voip Transmission Affected By Playout Buffer Scheme, Miroslaw Narbutt, Mark Davis

Conference papers

Delay, echo, encoding scheme, and packet loss all influence perceived quality of conversational speech transmitted over packet networks. Therefore, the choice of a buffer algorithm cannot be solely based on statistical loss/delay trade-off metrics. Also subjective “listening tests” or the newer ITU-T PESQ method, which don’t consider the effect of mouth-to-ear delay are inappropriate. We proposed a method for assessing VoIP call quality by extending the ITU-T E-model concept. This method provides a direct link to perceived conversational speech quality by estimating user satisfaction from the combined effect of information loss, delay and echo.

An Electro-Oculogram Based System For Communication And Control Using Target Position Variation, Ronan Fitzmaurice, Ted Burke, Annraoi De Paor

Conference Papers

In this paper we describe a novel mode of human computer interaction based on gaze tracking using the electro-oculogram (EOG). Despite the relative simplicity of recording this signal, it is often discounted as a reliable method of gaze tracking because of problems arising from changing sensitivity and DC drift. We describe an original technique, Target Position Variation (TPV), which addresses this issue by presenting moving icons which, when followed with the eye, create a corresponding pattern in the EOG signal which can be used to infer the correct gaze position and to compensate for variations in sensitivity.

Design Of Mobile Phone Applications For Point-Of-Care Test Result Validation., John Mcgrory, Owen Lynch, Eugene Coyle

Conference Papers

Patients with many different conditions are required to take the management of their condition into their own hands and perform Point of Care Testing (POCT) at home. However, this raises quality control issues that would not arise in a clinical setting, since the sample acquisition and testing procedures are not overseen by professional hospital staff. Another major issue, the main focus of this research, is that results from such tests are not clinically validated to ensure that they are plausible for that patient at the time of testing. In hospital, tests taken by clinicians are validated by hi-tech computerised validation …

Optimization Of Impedance Bandwidth For The Printed Rectangular Monopole Antenna, Matthias John, Max Ammann

Articles

This paper describes a printed rectangular-plate monopole fed by microstrip line. The effect of varying the plate width, feed-gap height, and feedline width on the impedance bandwidth is examined. It is shown that for a fixed ground-plane size, that optimization of these parameters can yield an impedance bandwidth ratio of 4.3:1, without using any broadbanding techniques.

Multi-Channel Audio Time-Scale Modification, David Dorran, Robert Lawlor, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

Phase vecoder based approaches to audio time-scale modification introduce a reverberant artefact into the time scaled output. Recent techniques have been developed to reduce the presence of this artefact; however, these techniques have the effect of introducing additional issues relating to their application to multi-channel recordings. This paper addresses these issues by collectively analysing all channels prior to time-scaling each individual channel.

Digital Image Processing, Jonathan Blackledge

Books/Book chapters

Newspapers and the popular scientific press today publish many examples of highly impressive images. These images range, for example, from those showing regions of star birth in the distant Universe to the extent of the stratospheric ozone depletion over Antarctica in springtime, and to those regions of the human brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Processed digitally to generate spectacular images, often in false colour, they all make an immediate and deep impact on the viewer’s imagination and understanding.

Professor Jonathan Blackledge’s erudite but very useful new treatise Digital Image Processing: Mathematical and Computational Methods explains both the underlying theory and …

Adequacy Assessment Of The Irish Generation System Including Wind Capacity, William Carr

Masters

Adequacy assessment of generation capacity is a statistical measure of the ability of existing or planned generation plant to meet predicted levels of electrical demand. Complications arise in this calculation because at any point in time the exact level of capacity available is variable due to planned and forced outages. Planned outrages is a term used to describe the period during the year when a generation unit is required to be shut down for maintenance work to be carried out. The duration of this outrage is normally known and its timing can be chosen. Forced outages describe the random failure …

Optimum Design Of The Printed Strip Monopole, Max Ammann, Matthias John

Articles

A monopole antenna, printed on low-cost laminate and fed by a microstrip line, is examined. These types of antennas are becoming popular in view of their broad bandwidth and low-profile structure, enabling easy integration as a terminal antenna. The move away from a classical ground plane (with normal radiator) is one of the attractive features of these antennas, but the full effects of the radiator and ground plane being on opposite sides of the same laminate are often not investigated. The effect of these ground planes on the impedance bandwidth and radiation pattern is investigated experimentally and numerically.

Study Of Transmission Response Of Edge Filters Employed In Wavelength Measurements, Qian Wang, Gerald Farrell, Thomas Freir

Articles

The ratiometric wavelength-measurement system is modeled and an optimal design of transmission response of the employed edge filter is demonstrated in the context of a limited signal-to-noise ratio of the signal source. The corresponding experimental investigation is presented. The impact of the limited signal-to-noise ratio of the signal source on determining the optimal transmission response of edge filters for a wavelength-measurement application is shown theoretically and experimentally.

Theoretical And Experimental Investigations Of Macro-Bend Losses For Standard Single Mode Fibers, Qian Wang, Gerald Farrell, Thomas Feir

Articles

Modeling of macro-bend losses for single mode fibers with multiple cladding or coating layers is presented. Macro-bend losses for standard single mode fibers (SMF28) are investigated theoretically and experimentally, showing that the inner primary coating layer of SMF28 has a significant impact on the bend losses and most of the radiation field is absorbed in the inner primary coating layer of SMF28. The agreement between theoretical calculations and experimental measurements suggests that the so-called elastooptical correction in modeling is not required for SMF28.

Use Of Advanced Synthesis Tools In Teaching Vlsi Design, Kevin Berwick, Dominic Nardone

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of The Internal Field On The Ir Absorption Spectra Of Small Particles In Case Of 3d, 2d And 1d Size Confinement, Igor I. Shaganov, Tatiana S. Perova, R. Alan Moore, Kevin Berwick

Articles

The spectral properties of composite materials based on small particles under 1D, 2D, and 3D size confinement are described using a combination of dispersive internal field and effective media theory approaches. Calculations performed for a number of crystalline materials have shown that the peak position and intensity of the vibrational band of the material under conditions of 1D, 2D, and 3D size confinement are changed, whereas the bandwidth of the band remains the same. In the case of 3D confinement, the peak position of the spectrum of isolated “mesoparticles” ( ) appears to be very close to the intrinsic frequency …

A Novel Framework For Radio Resource Management In Ieee 802.11 Wireless Lans, Mark Davis, Tristan Raimondi

Conference papers

In this paper we address the need to characterize and quantify resource usage in IEEE 802.11 WLANs in order to support radio resource management. We present a compact and intuitive framework for performance characterization and resource utilization that is based upon the concept of MAC bandwidth components. These MAC bandwidth components are directly related to the transmission rate and serve to quantify the resource requirements associated with accessing the wireless medium. We also introduce a graphical technique for presenting these MAC bandwidth components that illustrates how WLAN stations interact in contending for access to the wireless medium. We demonstrate the …

Performance Analysis Of Network-Level Qos With Encoding Configuration For Unicast Video Streaming Over Ieee 802.11 Wlan Networks, Nicola Cranley, Mark Davis

Conference papers

Video streaming has a large impact on the resource requirements of the WLAN. However, there are many variables involved in video streaming, such as the video content being streamed, how the video is encoded and how it is sent. This makes the role of radio resource management extremely difficult. In this paper we investigate the effect that video encoding configurations has on the network resource requirements for unicast video streaming in a WLAN environment. We compare the network resource requirements of several content types encoded at various encoding configurations with varying I-frame frequencies, target encoding bit rates and hint track …

Onset Detection, Music Transcription And Ornament Detection For The The Traditional Irish Fiddle, Aileen Kelleher, Derry Fitzgerald, Eugene Coyle, Robert Lawlor, Mikel Gainza

Conference papers

By combining techniques used in previous onset detectors, a system that detects note onsets in traditional Irish fiddle tunes has been implemented. The notes detected also include the most common types of ornamentation played by the fiddle. Ornaments are notes of extremely short duration, at most a fifth the length of a regular note. A Short Time Fourier Transform based sub-band technique, which previously gave good results for the Irish tin whistle, was modified to include a threshold approximation more suitable for the fiddle. This system has been tested on a database of real recorded fiddle tunes and good results …

Development Of A Computer-Based Violin Teaching Aid: Vitool, Jane Charles, Derry Fitzgerald, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper considers the development of a violin teaching aid, called ViTool, which is based on violin pedagogy, sound analysis, and comparison of beginner and good player recordings. It is a computer based teaching aid and will ultimately consist of at least four task dependent tools. Typical beginner faults have been identified and features, that best describe them for classification purposes, are considered. The ViTool is not intended as a replacement or electronic teacher, but as a teaching aid. Presently, it seems that no such violin learning aid or tool exists and an opportunity exists for the development of such …

Single Channel Source Separation Using Short-Time Independent Component Analysis, Dan Barry, Derry Fitzgerald, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

In this paper we develop a method for the sound source separation of single channel mixtures using Independent Component Analysis within a time-frequency representation of the audio signal. We apply standard Independent Component Analysis techniques to contiguous magnitude frames of the short-time Fourier transform of the mixture. Provided that the amplitude envelopes of each source are sufficiently different, it can be seen that it is possible to recover the independent short-time power spectra of each source. A simple scoring scheme based on auditory scene analysis cues is then used to overcome the source ordering problem ultimately allowing each of the …

Non-Negative Tensor Factorisation For Sound Source Separation, Derry Fitzgerald, Matt Cranitch, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

An algorithm for Non-negative Tensor Factorisation is introduced which extends current matrix factorisation techniques to deal with tensors. The effectiveness of the algorithm is then demonstrated through tests on synthetic data. The algorithm is then employed as a means of performing sound source separation on two channel mixtures, and the separation capabilities of the algorithm demonstrated on a two channel mixture containing saxophone, strings and bass guitar.

A Reference Guide To Smith Predictor Based Methods For The Compensation Of Dead-Time Processes, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

An extensive literature exists on the compensation of time delayed processes. These compensation methods may be broadly divided into parameter optimised controllers, in which the controller parameters are adapted to the controller structure (the most common such controller is the proportional integral derivative, or PID, controller), and structurally optimised controllers, in which the controller structure and parameters are adapted optimally to the structure and parameters of the process model. Important structurally optimised compensator strategies are the Smith predictor and its variations. The purpose of this paper is to extract the essence of the developments in design, tuning and implementation of …

Pid Controller Tuning Of Networked Computer Based Control Systems, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution discusses the use of PID controller tuning rules to assist in the implementation of network computer based control systems. Such systems typically have a variable time delay associated with the transfer of information. PID controller tuning rules can be directly implemented with minimal capital investment.

Dual-Band Monopole Antenna With Stagger-Tuned Arms For Broadbanding, Max Ammann, R. Farrell

Conference papers

The paper describes a dual-band miniaturized printed monopole for integration in modern wireless systems. The printed monopole is augmented with two arms, resonant at slightly different frequencies, providing a broadened response for the upper band. The achieved bandwidth for the high band is 36%. These antennas are proposed for the emerging dual-mode multi-band WLAN transceivers, which operate over a wide range of bands as dictated by national authorities. Measured and simulated data, including return loss, antenna gain and radiation patterns, are presented. The numerical method employed was the finite integration technique.

Comparative Study Of Two Techniques For Determining Critical Frequency Response Characteristics, Niall O'Connor, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

The paper presents a review of a comparative study of two separate techniques for obtaining important frequency and time domain characteristics of a system consisting of a process in series with a PI/PID controller in closed loop. The first technique involves the use of a Pseudo Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) to obtain the closed loop frequency response of the system. This closed loop frequency information may then be manipulated to obtain both open loop frequency response information and process model parameters. A further mathematical simulation using Matlab may then be performed independent of the actual process in order to obtain …

Smith Predictor Structure Stability Analysis Using Mikhailov Stability Criterion, Pauline Sourdille, Aidan O'Dwyer, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

As is well known, stability is an important requirement for control systems. Due to the nature of time-delay processes, common methods to evaluate stability may be difficult to use. In 1938, Mikhailov proved a frequency response criterion, which is sufficient and necessary for the stability of processes described by known n-th order constant coefficient linear differential equations. This paper presents the Mikhailov method and the application of this method to a Smith predictor structure controlled by a PI controller.

Estimation Of The Parameters Of A Delayed Process Using Open Loop Time Domain Techniques, Yue Zhang, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

All process investigations should start by a determination of the process model. The modeling strategy used will influence the value of the model parameters, which will in turn affect the controller values determined from tuning rules. This paper will describe an analytical method to identify a model of the dynamic characteristics of a process with a delay by using a tangent and point method, as originally suggested by Murrill, 1967. The methodology has been applied to eight benchmark transfer functions suitable for testing PID controllers, as suggested by Åström and Hägglund, 2000. The main advantages of the modeling approach are …

Modelling And Control Of A Suspension System For Vehicle Applications, Padraig Dowds, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This paper discusses the modelling of passive and active suspension systems in a car, and the subsequent design of appropriate feedback controllers for the active suspension system. The models will be investigated using a quarter car model and a full car model approach.

Maintaining A Balance At Undergraduate Degree Level In The Teaching Of Automation And Classical Control Systems, Eugene Coyle, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

Advances in the past decade in the development and application of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Automation Systems in both high technology industrial plants and in the more mainstream manufacturing sectors, has heightened the importance of ensuring that undergraduate degree programme syllabi are designed to adequately cater for the teaching and training of students in automation. Prior to this growth in automation, delivered syllabi in Control Systems on most Electrical Engineering programmes had a theoretical rigour, reflecting the mathematical nature of the topic. A major challenge currently facing departmental lecturing staff and programme coordinators is that of the design of …