Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Woodward Cuk Converter, Aditi Venkatesh, Jennifer Pereira

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this senior design project is to design and build a Cuk converter, a type of buck–boost converter. The project involves developing an analytical model and validating it through hardware testing. Cuk converters are important because they are widely used in everyday electronics, particularly in renewable energy systems such as solar power, power supplies, and electric vehicles. Their ability to increase, decrease, and reverse the polarity of voltage makes them flexible. The continuous input and output currents result in low ripple, reducing component stress and improving efficiency. To achieve these goals, simulations will be conducted using LTspice to …

Reinforcement Learning For Adversarial Environments: Multi-Agent Hide And Seek With Multi-Modal Sensing, Christian Alejandro Carrizales

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The development of intelligent and competitive agents in AI versus AI adversarial environments was explored through the utilization of reinforcement learning techniques with sensing modalities. A Hide-and-Seek simulation environment was developed using the Unity game engine along with the ML-Agents Toolkit. An engagement test campaign with a set of performance metrics was designed. Four AI versus AI adversarial scenarios were considered using the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms. Furthermore, the impact of sensing modalities on competing agents’ learning performance was investigated by varying the sensing capabilities of the hider and seeker, respectively. Experiments …

Hardware Trojan Detection In A Segmented Mixed-Signal Circuit Via Leakage Current, Christopher James Otey

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As computers and integrated circuits become more commonplace, the risk of a Hardware Trojan attack becomes more worrisome. Trojans can exploit design flaws or be inserted between essential components to leak information, change the circuit function, or destroy the circuit altogether. Several methods of trojan detection and prevention have been introduced, however few can handle combined analog and digital circuits, known as mixed-signal circuits. This thesis demonstrates a Hardware Trojan detection method implemented in an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), which is a mixed-signal circuit. The detection method involves splitting the circuit into segments with approximately equal leakage currents (a large part …

Reinforcement Learning For Adversarial Systems Using Relational Observations, Sophia Christine Gilson

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This thesis investigates the integration of relational observations with the reinforcement learning (RL) framework for improved generalization capability. A hide-and-seek simulation environment is designed in Unity for proof-of-concept demonstration. Two observation representations—relational (analogical) and standard positional—are designed to evaluate agent learning and generalization capabilities. Agents are trained using the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Soft Actor Critic (SAC) algorithms in a random-room environment and tested in both the random-room environment and a novel environment with greater spatial complexity and path obstructions. Comparative studies indicate that relational representation of objects in the adversarial environment could potentially improve the generalization capability of …

Affordable Bioprint Head-Adapter For 3d Printers, Andrew Ceralde, Dominic Drake, Noah Engles, Mohammad Alwan, Nevada Perry

Honors Capstones

Introduction: Addressing the need for affordable and accessible bioprinting technology, the Northern Illinois University bioprinting research and design project aims to democratize the field by developing an open source bioprint head. The initiative targets the prohibitive cost of commercial bioprinters by proposing an optimal design that can be integrated with widely available 3D printers, like the Creality Ender-3. This approach seeks to enable the widespread adoption of bioprinting technology, particularly for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Methods: Leveraging SolidWorks for design, the project employs a methodology that combines a precision extrusion system with thermal and UV crosslinking capabilities. …

Improving The Power Efficiency Of Woodward’S High-Power Inverter (Hpi) Using Algorithmic Part Selection., Jaron Holder, Ali Al Gazwi, John Childers, Jose Soublett

Honors Capstones

Woodward Inc. is a secondary aerospace manufacturer based in the USA that specializes in aircraft power and control systems. This senior design project was concerned with a power systems platform currently in development by Woodward, the High-Power Inverter (HPI) system. In this report, the senior design group from Northern Illinois University (NIU) demonstrated the creation of an algorithmic part selection process to choose more power-efficient electrical components, the prototyping using MATLAB Simulink, and the practical testing that showed an increase of 7% in the power efficiency of the HPI system.

Detection Of Unauthorized Transmissions In A Frequency Spectrum Using A Wireless Sensor Network, Benjamin Roehrig, Joel Brinkman, Dylan Zupec, Jannette Gonzalez

Honors Capstones

A prototype for a wireless sensor network has been designed to detect and identify unauthorized wireless transmissions in a frequency spectrum. This prototype design is intended to detect unauthorized transmissions within the FM band of frequencies independently at individual nodes with Software Defined Radio receivers and transmit that information to a fusion center for aggregation using a Bluetooth Low Energy mesh network. Aggregated results will be displayed to the user through a Graphical User Interface at the fusion center.

Detection Of Unauthorized Transmissions In A Frequency Spectrum Using Wireless Sensor Network, Joel Brinkman, Jannette Gonzalez, Benjamin Roehrig, Dylan Zupec

Honors Capstones

A prototype for a wireless sensor network has been designed to detect and identify unauthorized wireless transmissions in a frequency spectrum. This prototype design is intended to detect unauthorized transmissions within the FM band of frequencies independently at individual nodes with Software Defined Radio receivers and transmit that information to a fusion center for aggregation using a Bluetooth mesh network. Aggregated results will be displayed to the user through a Graphical User Interface at the fusion center.

Rf Steganography To Send High Security Messages Through Sdrs, Megan K. Patrick

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This research illustrates a high-security wireless communication method using a joint radar/communication waveform, addressing the vulnerability of traditional low probability of detection (LPD) waveforms to hostile receiver detection via cyclostationary processing (CSP). To mitigate this risk, RF steganography is used, concealing communication signals within linear frequency modulation (LFM) radar signals. The method integrates reduced phase-shift keying (RPSK) modulation and variable symbol duration, ensuring secure transmission while evading detection. Implementation is validated through software-defined radios (SDRs), demonstrating effectiveness in covert communication scenarios. Results include analysis of message reception and cyclostationary features, highlighting the method's ability to conceal messages from hostile receivers. …

Measured Phase History Data For Target Recognition Studies, Gregory A. Seltzer

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Performing automatic target recognition (ATR) on full-size aircraft targets using inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) data is challenging and expensive. The use of scale models and radar systems of such large targets saves time and reduces facility requirements. This study examines the feasibility of performing ATR on 1:144 scale model airplanes at Ka-band. The scale model and Ka-band radar simulate the collection of full-scale targets at VHF-band. The phase history measurement collections were completed in the Sensors and Signals Exploitation Laboratory (SSEL) at Wright State University. To ensure sufficient data for training and testing, the phase history data was augmented …

Application Of Multiple Data Augmentation Techniques To Improve Training With Synthetic Sar Data In Common Cnn, Stephanie M.V. Saich

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To address the issues of limited target data in the Synthetic Aperture Radar Automatic Target Recognition (SAR ATR) problem set, synthetic data is often used to aid in filling the gap. This paper covers an in depth look at the use of colorization, dynamic range adjustment, and target extraction as data augmentation techniques to improve the accuracy of deep learning networks trained on synthetic SAR data. The use of multiple different data augmentations combine to dramatically improve the accuracy of a common Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) over the use of standard synthetic data. A comparison of increasing fraction of measured …

Empirical Investigation Of Calibration Targets In Thz In The Near Field From 550 To 700 Ghz, Anais Kypris L. Rawson

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The uncertainty of the standard calibration procedure for radar cross-section (RCS) measurement is studied for different targets measured in the near-field from 550 to 700 GHz. Using common calibration spheres and squat cylinders mounted on a styrofoam pedestal at waterline (zero-degrees elevation), the calibration difference measure is determined for each target. Similarly, the difference metric is determined for square trihedral and tophat targets placed on a ground plane and measured at different elevation angles. The mean calibration measure is calculated using the dual calibration target method and repeated measurements in an anechoic chamber. The specific THz system is described and …

Performance Degradation Of Gan Hemts Under Rf Aging: Implications For Wireless Communications Standards, Nathan Grant

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This study examines the aging effects of GaN HEMTs, focusing on the CG2H40010 device under conditions that mimic the high-power, high-frequency environments of wireless communication systems. With the increasing adoption of GaN technology in RF applications, understanding its degradation mechanisms under CW stress and modulated signal characterization is essential for predicting device lifetime and ensuring performance standards for modern communication systems. RFALT was employed to stress the device using CW signals, while key performance metrics, such as gain compression, gate leakage, ACP, and EVM, were assessed using W-CDMA signals to replicate real-world dynamic stresses. The findings reveal that CW stress …

Prediction Of Ka-Band Radar Cross Section With Thz Scale Models With Varying Surface Roughness, Andrew J. Huebner

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Radar cross section (RCS) of electrically large targets can be challenging and expensive to measure. The use of scale models to predict the RCS of such large targets saves time and reduces facility requirements. This study investigates Ka-band (27 to 29 GHz) RCS prediction from scale model measurements at 500 to 750 GHz. Firstly, the coherent quasi-monostatic turntable RCS measurement system is demonstrated. Secondly, three aluminum 18:1 scale dihedrals with surface roughness up to 218 icroinches are measured to investigate how the roughness affects the Ka-band prediction. The measurements are compared to a parametric scattering model for the specular response, …

Investigating The Application And Sustained Effects Of Stochastic Resonance On Haptic Feedback Sensitivity In A Laparoscopic Task, Kara Liane Wilcox

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Stochastic resonance (SR) is a phenomenon that can enhance the detection or transmission of weak signals by adding random noise to a non-linear system. SR introduced into the human motor control system as a subthreshold mechanical vibration has shown promise to improve sensitivity to haptic feedback. SR can be valuable in a laparoscopic surgery application, where haptic feedback is critical. This research sought to find if applying SR to the human motor control system improves performance in a laparoscopic probing task, if the performance differs based on the location of stochastic resonance application, and if there are sustained effects from …

Modeling, Simulation, And Hardware Testing Of A Noise-Canceller Adc Architecture, Ethan R. Rando

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Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) are essential elements of most complex electronic devices. ADCs allow for an analog signal to be converted into the digital domain, and thus interpreted by a digital circuit or model. While ADCs are extremely common, they are not immune from common tradeoffs when being designed and implemented. The most prominent tradeoff when selecting or designing an ADC is whether to pursue a high conversion rate or a high resolution on the digital output. There are some ADC designs that allow for relatively high resolution while maintaining a respectable conversion rate, however these designs often come at the …

Multi-Variable Phase And Gain Calibration For Multi-Channel Transmit Signals, Ryan C. Ball

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A method for software-defined radio array calibration is presented. The method implements a matched filter approach to calculate the phase shift between channels. The temporal stability of the system and calibration coefficients are shown through the standard deviation over the course of four weeks. The standard deviation of the phase correction was shown to be less than 2 deg. for most channels in the array and within 8 deg. for the most extreme case. The standard deviation in amplitude scaling was calculated to be less than 0.06 for all channels in the array. The performance of the calibration is evaluated …

Fault Diagnosis And Accommodation In Quadrotor Simultaneous Localization And Mapping Systems, Anthony J. Green

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Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is the process of using distance measurements to points in the surrounding environment to build a digital map and perform localization. It has been observed that featureless environments like tunnels or straight hallways will cause positioning faults in SLAM. This research investigates the fault diagnosis and accommodation problem for a laser-rangefinder-based SLAM systems on a quadrotor. A potential solution of using optical flow as velocity estimate and an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to perform position estimation is proposed. A fault diagnosis method for detecting faults in positional SLAM data or optical flow velocity data is …

Digital Beamforming Array Phase Calibration Techniques For Multi-Pass Interferometric Sar, Kelly Cheung

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Calibration plays a critical role in the optimal performance of algorithms in digital beamforming arrays. Phase incoherency between elements results in poor beamforming with decreased gain and higher sidelobes, leading to a decrease in accuracy and sensitivity of measurements. A similar problem exists in performing multi-pass interferometric SAR (IFSAR) processing of SAR data stacks to generate topological maps of the scene, where phase errors translate to height errors. By treating each SAR image in the data stack like an element of a uniform linear array, this thesis explores several phase calibration techniques that can be used to calibrate digital beamforming …

Bandgap Engineering Of 2d Materials And Its Electric And Optical Properties, Kumar Vishal

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Since their invention in 1958, Integrated Circuits (ICs) have become increasingly more complex, sophisticated, and useful. As a result, they have worked their way into every aspect of our lives, for example: personal electronic devices, wearable electronics, biomedical sensors, autonomous driving cars, military and defense applications, and artificial intelligence, to name some areas of applications. These examples represent both collectively, and sometimes individually, multi-trillion-dollar markets. However, further development of ICs has been predicted to encounter a performance bottleneck as the mainstream silicon industry, approaches its physical limits. The state-of-the-art of today’s ICs technology will be soon below 3nm. At such …

Amygdala Modeling With Context And Motivation Using Spiking Neural Networks For Robotics Applications, Matthew Aaron Zeglen

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Cognitive capabilities for robotic applications are furthered by developing an artificial amygdala that mimics biology. The amygdala portion of the brain is commonly understood to control mood and behavior based upon sensory inputs, motivation, and context. This research builds upon prior work in creating artificial intelligence for robotics which focused on mood-generated actions. However, recent amygdala research suggests a void in greater functionality. This work developed a computational model of an amygdala, integrated this model into a robot model, and developed a comprehensive integration of the robot for simulation, and live embodiment. The developed amygdala, instantiated in the Nengo Brain …

Reconfigurable Array Control Via Convolutional Neural Networks, Garrett A. Harris

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A method for the beam forming control of an array of reconfigurable antennas is presented. The method consists of using two parallel convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to analyze a desired radiation pattern image, or mask, and provide a suggestion for the reconfigurable element state, array shape, and steering weights necessary to obtain the radiation pattern. This research compares beam forming systems designed for three distinct element types: a patch antenna, a reconfigurable square spiral antenna restricted to a single reconfigurable state, and the fully reconfigurable square spiral. The parametric sweeps for the design of the CNNs are presented along with …

Fault-Tolerant Control Of Autonomous Ground Vehicle Under Actuator And Sensor, Vaishnavi Janakiraman

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Unmanned ground vehicles have a wide range of potential applications including autonomous driving, military surveillance, emergency responses, and agricultural robotics, etc. Since such autonomous vehicles need to operate reliably at all times, despite the possible occurrence of faulty behaviors in some system components, the development of fault-tolerant control schemes is a crucial step in ensuring reliable and safe operations. In this research, a fault-tolerant control scheme is developed for a nonlinear ground vehicle model with possible occurrence of both actuator faults in the form of loss of effectiveness (LOE) and sensor bias faults. Based on the vehicle and fault models …

Hardware Security And Side Channel Power Analysis For 16x16 Booth Multiplier In 65nm Cmos Technology, Kanchan Vissamsetty

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As feature size is scaling down, dynamic power consumption reduces but static power consumption increases. Due to the increase of static power, leakage currents as a source, the information can be exploited successfully as a side-channel to recover the secrets of the cryptographic implementations. An attacker who has access to the hardware fabrication can insert a Trojan to the design to steal or alter information. In this thesis, a post-fab static voltage variation/detection technique is developed to detect the potential fabrication process Trojan insertion. The technique is, dividing the designed circuit into N equal segments, where each segment would have …

The Theory And Design Of Class E Power Amplifiers For Impulse Excitation In Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Owen D. Riemer

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A new method for analyzing the effectiveness of NMR impulse power amplifiers was developed using a classical linear systems approach to NMR. The method demonstrates a way to compare NMR power amplifiers and outputs. Thermodynamic calculations and the harmonic content of NMR amplifiers is presented to provide a complete description of the NMR power amplifier design problem. A design procedure for class E NMR power amplifiers with a pi-impedance matching network is outlined for matching the amplifier to the transmitter coil. The thesis concludes with the presentation of a 53 MHz power amplifier developed with the procedure. The complete amplifier …

Interferometry Analysis Method For Colliding Plasma Generated With Exploded Wires, Michael D. Gruesbeck

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Building upon recent work to estimate electron and ion densities from paired interferograms, the current work develops a model for the 2D interference phase function. Unlike the previous work that only estimated a radial plasma profile from images of a singly exploded straight Cu wire, we estimate 2D properties from a colliding plasma generated from two simultaneously exploded wires. First, a 2D phase model is proposed for the interference patterns of the images taken at 1064 nm and 532 nm. Then, the model parameters are estimated using Fourier analysis. Secondly, the plasma region in each image is partitioned into subregions …

Reconfigurable Antenna Array Using The Pin-Diode-Switched Printed Square Spiral Element, Corey M. Stamper

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A dual-band array of reconfigurable elements is modeled and simulated. The array consists of four single square spiral microstrip antennas that are corporately fed and are used as a unit cell. The single square spiral uses two PIN diodes as switching elements to achieve reconfiguration. The array has four switch states that can operate over four discrete frequencies in the S and C bands. The unit cell radiation pattern is used with the pattern multiplication model to quickly simulate the array pattern of larger arrays. A 3 x 3 array of the unit cells is modeled with only the center …

Comparing Rf Fingerprinting Performance Of Hobbyist And Commercial-Grade Sdrs, Travis R. Smith

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Radio Frequency Fingerprinting (RFF) research typically uses expensive, laboratory grade receivers which have high dynamic range, very stable oscillators, large instantaneous bandwidth, multi-rate sampling, etc. In this study, the RFF effectiveness of lower grade receivers is considered. Using software-defined radios (SDRs) of different cost and performance, a linear regression model is developed to predict RFF performance. Unlike two previous studies of SDR effectiveness that used commercial and lab-grade SDRs, the experiment here focused on hobbyist and commercial-grade SDRs (RTL-SDR, B200-mini, N210). A regression model is proposed for a generic SDR. Using a full-factorial experiment matrix, the gain, sample rate, and …

Logistic Function Based Nonlinear Modeling And Circuit Analysis Of The Bipolar Vacancy Migration Memristor, Isaac P. Abraham

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Memristor is an acronym for memory resistor. Memristors promise to be building blocks for high density memory and analog computation. Hewlett Packard’s announcement in 2008 of having fabricated a memristor on an integrated circuit scale has created a tangible excitement in this field. Understanding and exploiting the full potential of these devices requires good compact models. Symbolic modeling provides a balance between achieving accurate empirical fit and generating closed form expressions. This dissertation simplifies the transport equation into a variable coefficient advection equation, very similar to a Burgers’ equation traditionally used in fluid dynamics. The Burgers’-like model reveals the dual …

The Steady-State Analysis Of The Non-Isolated And Isolated Type Sepic Pwm Dc-Dc Converters For Ccm, Anuroop Reddy Dasari

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The purpose of this thesis is to develop the theory for analysing and designing the non-isolated and isolated type of SEPIC converters for continuous conduction mode (CCM). The non-isolated converter has single output. The isolated converter considered has two cases: single output and multi-output. The principle of operation of each circuit is explained during different time intervals of the switching cycle. The analytical expressions for various characteristics of the circuits are derived, such as: MV DC and MIDC of the lossless and lossy converter; average and peak-to-peak currents through the inductors, primary and secondary windings of the transformer; average and …