Engineering Commons^™

Computer-Based Parameter Visualization And Decision Making For The Detection And Prediction Of Ovulation: The Ovulo-Computer, Omar Rodolfo Bermudez

Dissertations and Theses

It is now well accepted by gynecologists that a woman can conceive from an act of intercourse for a maximum of seven days of her menstrual cycle [1]. The reliability of natural family planning methods depends on identifying this window of fertility without ambiguity. Several natural family planning (NFP) methods have been used extensively and with some success. For decades, cycle length and BBT history have been used to forecast the most likely days of ovulation. When greater precision is needed, serum LH assays or ultrasound techniques are used. With the recent development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, various kits have …

Transmission Ellipsometry On Transparent Unbacked Or Embedded Thin Films With Application To Soap Films In Air, R. M.A. Azzam

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

The ratio ρ_t = T_p/T_s of the complex amplitude transmission coefficients for the p and s polarizations of a transparent unbacked or embedded thin film is examined as a function of the film thickness-to-wavelength ratio d/λ and the angle of incidence Φ for a given film refractive index N. The maximum value of the differential transmission phase shift (or retardance), Δ_t = argρ_t, is determined, for given N and Φ, by a simple geometrical construction that involves the iso-Φ circle locus of ρ_t in the complex plane. The …

A Robust Approach To Human-Computer Interface Design Using The Taguchi Method, Billie Mitchell Reed

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The application of Dr. Genichi Taguchi's approach for design optimization, called Robust Design, to the design of human-computer interface software is investigated. The Taguchi Method is used to select a near optimum set of interface design alternatives to improve user acceptance of the resulting interface software product with minimum sensitivity to uncontrollable noise caused by human behavioral characteristics.

Design alternatives for interaction with personal micro-computers are identified. Several important and representative alternatives are chosen as design parameters for the Taguchi matrix experiment. A noise field with three human behavioral characteristics as noise factors were chosen as a representative noise array. …

Cathodoluminescence Of Gaas, Tyler Smith

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cathodoluminescence of band-gap radiation across the bulk of a proposed semiconductor switch has been studied. Such a device relies on the efficient use of cathodoluminescence to modulate the conductivity of the switch. Diagnostics were configured to measure the intensity of band-gap radiation across the bulk of several switch samples. The measured results were compared to calculations based on a four energy level band-gap model which included two deep levels EL2 and HL10.

Purification And Characterization Of The Prostate Cancer-Associated Antigen: 7e11-C5, Qi Feng

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb), 7E11-C5, recognizes a prostate organ-specific antigen. Under reducing conditions, the 7E11-C5 antigen exhibited major 100-Kd and minor 70-Kd bands, suggesting that the antigen comprises two peptide chains. The antigen was detected in pooled normal human seminal plasma, xenograft tissue extract of a prostate adenocarcinoma cell line, LNCaP, and tissue extracts of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate carcinomas, but was not identified in any of the non-prostate tissue extracts tested. Antibodies of the three major prostate-associated antigens (prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate secretory protein (PSP)) were unable to block the …

Simulation Study Of Signal Coupling For Monolithic Gaas 8-12 Micron Direct Injection Mqw Image Sensor, Lei Zhang

Theses

The simulation of signal coupling for a single pixel of a monolithic 8-12 micron GaAs/A1GaAs direct injection MQW infrared image sensor with 100% fill factor has been performed by using PISCES-IIB and PSPICE simulators. A vertical structure with the readout circuit built on the back of MQW was adopted for simulations. Both the static and transient characteristics were analyzed by simulation. The simulation was used to verify the doping profiles and device parameters for the n-GaAs MESFETs used in the read-out circuit.

The simulation result is as follow:

(1) A 900A thick p-GaAs (p=10¹⁶/cm3) substrate for GaAs MESFETs …

Investigation Of Real-Time Optical Scanning Holography, Bradley D. Duncan

Electro-Optics and Photonics Faculty Publications

Real-time holographic recording using an optical heterodyne scanning technique was proposed by Poon in 1985. The first part of this dissertation provides a detailed theoretical treatment of the technique, based on a Gaussian beam analysis. Topics to be addressed include the derivations of the optical transfer function (OTF) and impulse response of the scanning holographic recording system, reconstructed image resolution and magnification, methods of carrier frequency hologram generation and experimental verification of the recording technique based on careful measurements of a hologram corresponding to a simple transmissive slit. Furthermore, computer simulations are presented pertaining to the incoherent nature of the …

High-Frequency Electrooptic Fabry-Perot Modulators, R. J. Simes, R. H. Yan, C. C. Barron, Dennis J. Derickson, D. G. Lishan, Judy R. Karin, L. A. Coldren, M. Rodwell, S. Elliott, B. Hughes

Electrical Engineering

Electrooptic modulators built from GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs Fabry-Perot cavities operating up to 6.5 GHz are reported. The measured frequency response agrees well with the one predicted using an equivalent circuit model derived from high-speed electrical measurements. The parasitic capacitances have been reduced to approximately 30 fF by fabricating the devices on semi-insulating GaAs substrates and integrating them with on-wafer bound pads which have dimensions compatible with microwave coplanar probes.

A Prolog System For Converting Vhdl-Based Models To Generalized Extraction System (Ges) Rules, Michael A. Dukes, Frank M. Brown, Joanne E. Degroat

AFIT Documents

With the advent of VHDL accurate documentation of hardware designs is a practical reality. In the past, schematics were typically used for documentation of hardware designs. However, these schematics would usually become obsolete as the hardware design was being constructed. Deviations in the hardware design would sometimes not be reflected in the schematics. For design groups, failure to update schematics could lead to different parts of a hardware design becoming incompatible. A system to ensure compliance of hardware with its VHDL documentation is presented in this paper. The system, vhdl2ges, is meant to help guide the development of hardware by …

High Frequency Scattering Code In A Distributed Processing Environment, Scott Suhr

Theses and Dissertations

Government agencies and academic institutions are very interested programming for concurrent processing to cut computer processing time. However, many of the world's problems have already been coded for conventional serial computers. This research demonstrates the feasibility of modifying existing serial codes for execution in a concurrent processing environment. A electromagnetic scattering prediction code known as NECBSC is incrementally modified to incorporated various levels of concurrent computing. The data processed by the code are completely independent, providing an avenue for data decomposition of the process. Portions of the data set are processed on each mode and the results combined for final …

A Multiple Model Adaptive Estimator Using First And Second-Order Acceleration Models For Use In A Forward-Looking Infrared Tracker, Barbara J. Niblett

Theses and Dissertations

The performance of a multiple model adaptive estimator (MMAE) for an enhanced correlator/forward-looking-infrared tracker for airborne targets is analyzed in order to improve its performance. Performance evaluation is based on elemental filter selection and MMAE estimation error sizes and trends. The elemental filters are based on either first or second-order acceleration models. Improved filter selection is achieved by using acceleration models that separate the frequency content of acceleration power spectral densities into non- overlapping regions with second-order models versus the more traditional overlapping regions with first-order models. A revised tuning method is presented. The maximum a posteriori (MAP) versus the …

An Alternative Algorithm For Discrete-Time Filtering, Frederick H. Zeitz Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The discrete-time Kalman filter is a conditional mean estimator of the states of a linear stochastic process, conditioned on the previous state and current measurements. It assumes that the states and noise inputs can be represented as jointly Gaussian random variables. The influence diagram is a decision analysis tool. Under certain conditions, it can represent continuous, jointly Gaussian random variables. The conditioning order of the random variables may be changed (using Bayes' rule) so that any random variable can be conditioned on any other subset of random variables in the diagram. Under these conditions, an influence diagram can represent the …

Investigation Of Adaptive Controllers For Puma Trajectory Tracking, Daniel J. Sims

Theses and Dissertations

Two robust model-based controllers and two decentralized adaptive controllers are experimentally evaluated. Algorithm evaluation is motivated by the need for controllers with good high speed tracking under varying payload conditions. The test case is a PUMA-560 robotic manipulator operating over the standard test suite. The model-based controllers are made robust by the addition of either an auxiliary input term or an adaptive feedforward compensator based on Lyapunov Theory. The model-based auxiliary input controller (MBAIC) adapts the gain matrices used in computing an additional torque to be combined with model-based feedforward and PD feedback torques. The adaptive model-based controllers adapt the …

Development Of A Personal Computer Simulation Program Of The Ln-94 Inertial Navigation System, Thomas E. Flynn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops a simulation that emulates a Litton LN-94 INS. Real time simulation is achieved for a stationary navigation case and a straight-and-level flight trajectory are provided to exercise the simulation dynamics. The user interface is simple and requires little previous knowledge to operate. The communication link with the MILSTD 1553B bus provide a realistic environment in which to collect and analyze data. The simulation is processed on an 80386 IBM compatible personal computer. A 23-state INS error model is implemented and integration is performed by a fifth-order Kutta-Merson routine. The simulation is interfaced to a plotting routine and …

Mosfet Audio Amplifier, Jeff Argast

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

My senior project is an audio amplifier utilizing MOSFETs as the output transistors to drive the speaker. Within this document I cover the details of designing an amplifier, and the methods used to build it.

The most important part of the project is the output stage. In this section I chose MOSFETs over BJTs. Several advantages ensued from this decision, resulting in a simple design.

Further, the transformer must be able to supply the necessary currents for the transistors. Because large musical peaks are possible, resulting in sizable power surges, I had to obtain a large transformer with adequate specifications. …

Pump Polarization Effects In Cw Dye Lasers, Lee W. Casperson, W. J. Sandle, A. C. Wilson, D. M. Warrington, R. J. Ballagh

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effects of pump polarization on the performance of cw dye lasers have been investigated. A recently developed semiclassical model for synchronously pumped mode‐locked dye lasers is adapted to the problem of cw dye‐laser oscillation, and analytic expressions are obtained for the relationship between the pump power, pump polarization, and dye‐laser output power. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data obtained using an argon‐laser‐pumped rhodamine 6G dye laser.

A Vision System Model, Erik J. Fretheim

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides four major contributions to the field of vision research. The first contribution is a general vision system model. The model, which blends biological as well as technological methods into a coherent approach to vision, will provide a basis for implementing vision systems. The second contribution of this dissertation is to demonstrate particular implementations of portions of the model. These implementations will include methods for using Gabor wavelets in edge detection, in preprocessing images for use as feature vectors in backpropagation neural networks, and as basis functions in a recognition/reconstruction network, as well as methods for integrating color …

Spaceborne Radar Measurement Of Wind Velocity Over The Ocean-An Overview Of The Nscat Scatterometer System, David G. Long, F. M. Naderi, Michael H. Freilich

Faculty Publications

Scatterometry and scatterometer design issues are reviewed. The design of the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) to be flown on the Japanese ADEOS mission is presented. Building on Seasat experience, the NSCAT system includes several enhancements, such as three antenna azimuths in each of two swaths, and an onboard digital Doppler processor to allow backscatter measurements to be colocated everywhere within the orbit. These enhancements will greatly increase the quality of the NSCAT wind data. The ground processing of data is discussed, and scatterometers of the next decade are briefly described.

The Theory Of Bootstrapped Algorithms And Their Applications To Cross Polarization Interference Cancelation, Abdulkadir Dinc

Dissertations

Dual-polarized transmission has become an important method for frequency re-use, particularly in satellite and microwave radio communication. Nevertheless, cross-polarization interference, which is inherent to this method, may cause degradation in system performance.

Different canceler [sic] structures have been proposed to mitigate the effect of cross-polarization. Among these are the diagonalizer, the least mean square (LMS) canceler [sic] and the bootstrapped cancelers [sic]. Bootstrapped canceler [sic] schemes have been proposed and implemented in different applications, such as satellites, tactical communications, and quadrature amplitude madulation [sic] (QAM) dual polarized microwave radio. Nevertheless, no attempt was made in the past to quantify the …

Task Scheduling For Fms Based On Genetic Algorithm, Hung-Yuan Li

Theses

A Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) consisting of p automated guided vehicles (AGV's), m workstations and n tasks is studied. The main problem investigated in this thesis is to find an optimal or suboptimal task scheduling for p AGV's among m workstations to complete n tasks.

An efficient approach based on genetic algorithms has been designed and implemented to solve the problem of task scheduling for a FMS. Near-optimal, or even optimal, task scheduling is accomplished by genetic algorithms. Simulation results on the algorithm are also discussed.

Simulation Of Voice And Data Integration, Urmila S. Patel

Theses

A simulation model of integrated voice and data is developed. The data packets are transmitted during voice inactivity (i.e. silence duration). A statistical model of voice (talkspurt) and silence duration is generated. inter-arrival time between data packets is modeled using geometrical distribution. The data traffic statistics is simulated for a given voice activity model and various data packet arrival rates. Four important results are obtained by performing this simulation: 1. Average data packet delay versus arrival rate. 2. The optimal ratio of data packet arrival rate to average data packet delay. 3. Probability of wait time for various data packet …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Lpcvd Silicon Carbide Thin Films For X-Ray Lithography, Mahalingam Bhaskaran

Theses

Amorphous silicon carbide thin films were fabricated using low pressure chemical deposition method with a single liquid precursor, di tertiary butyl silane. The films were deposited for a temperature range of 500-850°C and at different pressures ranging from 0.05 to 1 torr. The growth rate of the films deposited at constant pressure of 0.2 torr with a flow rate of 60 sccm, was found to follow an Arrehenius Behavior in the temperature range of 600 - 675°C, yielding an activation energy of 32.5 k cal mol^-1 . IR spectroscopic study showed an absorption peak centered at 780 cm^{-1 …}

Application Of Non-Imaging Optical Inspection To The Detection Of Pinhole Defects In Latex Condoms, Paul Micha Gelencser

Theses

An optical technique was demonstrated for the detection of pinhole defects in latex condoms. To evaluate the optical inspection concept, a prototype inspection apparatus was constructed. In order to maximize contrast between pinhole transmitted signal and optical signal transmitted through the latex condom material, ultraviolet (u.v.) light of wavelength 253nm has been used. This inspection was performed during rotation of the condom, with the light source inside the condom and the photomultiplier photodetector outside. The form on which the condoms were mounted was made of quartz in order to allow the u.v. light to be transmitted through it.

Background signal …

The Neural Network Based Control System For Dynamic Channel Allocation In Pcn Communications, Ching-Yao Huang

Theses

A neural network based control system (NNCS) is adopted in this paper to conduct the channel allocation task in the personal communication networks (PCN). Binary adaptive resonance theory (ART-1) that was modified for pattern matching and provided the corresponding responses is selected as the basic algorithm for the system. Digital portable radio technology can provide reliable access to high quality wireless service for many users. Low power transmission requirement and small cell size configuration that can support more users and diverse services than cellular radio system are the attractive attributes of PCN. Assigning multiple time slots to a user in …

Automatic Infrared And Visual Inspection Of Solder Joints On Pcbs, Jiang Huang

Theses

This thesis reports the research results of automatic inspection of solder joints on printed circuit boards (PCBs). The previous work on this regard has been advanced significantly in the following three aspects. With the application of some microlens and the principle of geometric optics solder joints of real size are inspected in this work instead of larger simulation solder joints in the previous work. A new set of features is formulated and used for infrared inspection. Consequently, better results have been achieved in this work.

Reasonably good results demonstrate the capability of infrared inspection of solder joints on PCBs. Once …

Direct Recovering Of Composite Surface Using Uoff, Zhesheng Huang

Theses

The research work reported in the thesis is motivated by the problem raised in the computer vision area. It utilizes direct method to recover surface structure of objects in 3-D space from a pair of stereo images. The direct method, compared with optical flow-based approach and feature-based approach, is robust and computationally efficient. However it can only recover planar surface structure so far. A new approach to recover structure from a pair of stereo images based on unified optical flow field (UOFF) is developed recently. It can recover curved surface structure.

In this thesis, the problem of recovering surface structure …

A Cmos Logic Circuit To Reduce Substrate Current/Hot Carrier Effect, Tejinder K. Jaswal

Theses

A new C-MOS NAND and CMOS full adder logic circuits which reduces hot carrier problems are discussed. The application of new circuit lowers the channel electric field in N-MOSFET during switching transient and leads to suppression of the N-MOSFET substrate current. The simulation results shows that about 3.99 and 3.75 times smaller peak substrate current are obtained in C-MOS NAND and adder with new circuit compared to the conventional logic circuits. These logic circuits also gives better noise and shows shorter rise and fall times. The new concept provides highly reliable logic circuits without any change of device structure or …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Boron Nitride Masks For X-Ray Lithography, Venkat Paturi

Theses

Boron nitride thin films were deposited on silicon and fused quartz substrates by low pressure chemical vapor deposition using liquid precursor source consisting of Triethyl amine borane complex over a temperature range of 600-900°C. In the range of 600-800°C, the deposition rate, measured at a constant pressure of 0.35 Torr and flow rate of 30 sccm, was observed to follow an Arrhenius behavior yielding an activation energy of 11 kcal/mol. In the temperature range of 800-900°C, the addition of ammonia to Triethylamineborane complex produced films that are stoichiometric, as estimated by RBS measurements, and hydrogen free as determined by Infrared …

A New Approach To Motion Analysis From A Sequence Of Stereo Images, Lin Zhou

Theses

A new approach to motion analysis from a sequence of stereo images is presented in this thesis. Based on a four-frame model, a new concept of unified optical flow field has been developed recently [3]. It is a generalization of the optical flow in stereo imagery. A set of fundamental equations is established to characterize the unified optical flow field. Another set of equations is then derived from which 3-D motion can be reconstructed via the use of the field quantities of the unified optical flow field. In this thesis, the implementation of the approach is conducted. The simulation and …

Novel Artificial Dielectric Plannar Waveguides, Jialing Yang

Theses

An artificial dielectric is a composite material consisting of a dielectric with a large number of conducting particles arranged in a three-dimensional pattern. The particle dimensions are smaller than the optical wavelength of interest. In this thesis, the theoretical and experimental results of some novel artifical dielectric planar waveguide structures are presented. By comparing near field intensity profile measurements from various waveguide structures, we have shown that by adding small clusters of the conductor material into the waveguide we can tailor the mode profile of the waveguide. Also, we were able to fabricate waveguides on a substrate with relatively higher …