Electrical and Electronics Commons^™

Miniature Embedded Module For Prognostic Health Monitoring (Phm) Of Electronic Systems, Liam Moore

Theses

Sensing systems for reliability prognostics are used extensively in life- and mission- critical electronics systems. They allow monitoring of reliability stresses in real time and scheduling of preventative maintenance before system failure. However, reliability prognostics systems are, in general, large and expensive and cannot be used in lower cost, small sized or portable products.

This thesis presents a sensing module for reliability prognostics which is only 1cm in volume and uses only commercial off-the-shelf components. In its 1cm package, the module combines all the necessary elements to act as an embedded prognostic sensor system for multi axial strain, vibration, humidity …

Low-Complexity Transmit Diversity Scheme Using Moderate-Sized Signal Constellations, B. K. Khoo, P. Xiao, S. Y. Le Goff, B. S. Sharif, C. C. Tsimenidis

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

In the conventional space-time coding technique [1], nT radio frequency (RF) chains are employed to transmit signals simultaneously from nT transmit antennas. In this Letter, a lowcomplexity transmit diversity scheme with nT = 2 transmit antennas is proposed. The proposed system employs only one RF chain as well as a low-complexity switch for transmission.

Renovating A Control Engineering Laboratory For Enhanced Learning, David Hamilton

Theses

In an attempt to both place the student at the centre of the learning process and thus improve student engagement with the discipline, and to incorporate professional skills into the engineering curriculum at the module level, an enquiry based learning (EBL) component to enhance teamwork, problem solving skills and the student’s ability to learn independently was developed using current best practice in teaching and learning. As EBL is not widely used in engineering curricula in CIT, a pilot scale three week trial was performed during the academic year 2007-08 to evaluate the appropriateness of the pedagogy and student reactions to …

Rf Mems Capacitors For Sdr, Yamuna Kuberappa

Theses

Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) applications in radio frequency (RF) and microwave electronics are revolutionizing the progress in wireless communications. In particular, MEMS switchable/tunable capacitors can facilitate the realization of multistandard software defined transceivers, offering better performance than existing solutions.

In this thesis, characterisation and RF modelling of MEMS switchable/tunable capacitors and the technical requirements for their application in multiband wireless transceiver circuits in a software defined radio (SDR) are described. The first device considered is a curled cantilever capacitive switch, configured in both shunt and series configuration where the capacitance is limited to two stable states. The second device, …

A Middleware For True Mobile Agents In Wireless Sensor Networks, Ciarán Lynch

Theses

The application space of wireless sensor networks has evolved considerably from their initial role as an efficient data gathering system. Modern wireless sensor networks are expected to be dynamic, powerful. reliable and flexible, while continuing to operate efficiently and autonomously. The supporting software' systems have not kept pace with this development, and currently limits the deployment of complex and robust applications. Mobile software agents present a powerful approach to application design, however no existing middleware for wireless sensor networks supports native mobile software agents.

The main contribution of the work presented in this thesis is the development and evaluation of …

A Virtual Training Environment For Temporal Bone Surgery, Denis Stack

Theses

A virtual training environment for temporal bone surgery incorporating haptic, visual and audio feedback is presented in this work. Data are derived from Computed Tomography (CT) scans, thus patient-specific cases may be examined in the simulator.

Two main classes of volume haptic algorithm exist for virtual surgery, namely proxy-based and non proxy-based. A review of the evolution of relevant haptic algorithms is presented. Proxy-based and non proxy-based algorithms are implemented and their performance measured against each other by comparison with real-world force data. An improved proxy-based feedback algorithm is also presented. This algorithm uses a spherical proxy which prevents the …

Trust Based Agent Geographic Coalition Formation For Intelligent Transportation Systems, Gary O'Connor

Theses

In recent years there has been an increase in the area of applied research for the intelligent transport domain. This surge in research has many contributing factors such as: advancements in information technologies, substantial escalations of traffic congestion and the advent of wireless networking. The possibility of collaboration among vehicles and roadside infrastructure enriches transportation systems, where the goals of improved safety, traffic efficiency and environmental benefits can be addressed. The primary objective of these Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the creation of advanced road traffic safety systems for improved traffic safety, efficiency and travelling comfort. These systems provide a …

Cross-Verified, Combined Methodologies For High Frequency Electrical Characterisation Of Electronic Packaging, Eoin Mcgibney

Theses

Methodologies for cross-verified, wide bandwidth (50MHz-20GHz) electrical model extraction for as-manufactured electronic packaging and interconnection are presented. They are presented in the context that packaging and interconnection is now following a rapidly-evolving Moore’s-type Law in terms of new generations of packaging and interconnection materials, technologies and manufacturing processes. Significant frequency content is also increasing while, at the same time, final product cost constraints mean that packages and circuit boards must typically be manufactured using low cost materials and mass-manufacturing processes, often geographically remote, with their inherently higher levels of variability. Wide bandwidth signal integrity analysis cannot be performed during electronic …

Smart Heating Systems For Green Homes, Cheryl Carmody

Theses

The focus of this research is to design an improved heating control system for a class of older energy inefficient dwelling to produce an improved living environment. Prerequisites for such control are sensors and models. Commercial sensor nodes enabled a multi-zone heating system to be considered. While the accompanying sensor node software was functional, it was not suitable for real-time control and was modified to achieve same. Once a prototype was developed and tested in the laboratory, it was deployed to a two-story residential dwelling in Cork city.

The requisite mathematical models describe the heat transfer characteristics for a particular …

Mesh Mac Enabling Mesh Networking Over Ieee 802.15.4 Mac Layer, Panneer Selvan Muthukumaran

Theses

Wireless sensor network is a network of sensor nodes that function in a cooperative manner to monitor the changes in the physical environment. Wireless sensor networks are used in environment and habitat monitoring, healthcare applications, building automation, and traffic control to name a few. Typically, wireless sensor node is a low power embedded device which consists of a microcontroller, sensors, wireless transceiver and a battery. These devices are usually distributed in a physical environment which makes it difficult to maintain the network manually.

The IEEE 802.15.4 and Zigbee are considered as standard protocols for wireless sensor networks. The IEEE 802.15.4 …

Management Framework For Hybrid Wireless Networks, Chong Shen

Theses

The objective of the Hybrid Wireless Network with dedicated Relay Nodes (HWN*) architecture is to interface the Base Station (BS) Oriented Mobile Network (BSON) and the 802.fix based Mobile Ad hoc Wireless Network (MANET) so that one system can be utilised as an alternative radio access network for data transmissions, while the incorporation of Relay Nodes (RN) is to extend the communication coverage, optimise medium resource sharing, increase spatial reuse opportunity, stabilise MANET link and create more micro-cells. The HWN* keeps the existing cellular infrastructure and a Mobile Terminal (MT) can borrow radio resources from other cells via secure multi-hop …

Design, Implementation And Evaluation Of A Networking Context Aware Policy Environment, Asanga Dhammika Udugama

Theses

Future mobile networks are anticipated to have support to access heterogeneous access technologies. An important question in such environments is the decisions on when to use what access network. These decisions must take the users and mobile network operators’ perspectives into consideration. The operators usually have a focus of always-best-managed networks while the users have an always-best-connected focus. A key enabler of such environments is the use of policies to perform these handover decisions. These policies, which must be dynamic in nature, should be configurable when the requirements change. Policy decisions are always made based on the current context of …

Elliptic Curve Cryptography Security On Restricted Mobile Devices, Debbie Mccann

Theses

Mobile technologies with limited resources, such as smart phones or PDAs, have increased dramatically in popularity. However, the level of security provided for these technologies has not kept pace with the value of the data that they contain or transmit.

Wireless networks usually provide some security, in the form of encryption. GSM and GPRS use different forms of the A5 algorithm, and Wi-Fi uses WEP or WPA. These encryption algorithms have proven weaknesses and in some cases have been efficiently cracked. To improve the security of wireless networks, stronger encryption algorithms need to be developed. One of the most attractive …

A Distributed Ai Approach For Large-Scale Wlan Design, Alan Mcgibney

Theses

The recent dramatic trend towards always-on-connectivity has driven the need for mobile ubiquitous computing environments with the advent of the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) seeing a shift from traditional wired networks to wireless networking. A WLAN typically contains a number of access points that allow wireless enabled clients access information and network resources such as the internet without the need for wires, offering flexibility and mobility to the users. Initial wireless networks were convenience based allowing users access to the primary wired network, and involved little planning prior to roll-out. The proliferation of low cost wireless devices combined wdth …

Container Management And Monitoring Using Sensor Networks, Daniel Rogóz

Theses

The purpose of this project was to develop a functional prototype of a container management and monitoring system, which allows identification and tracking of shipping containers in a port terminal from the moment they enter a port to when they depart for their final destination.

Such system can significantly reduce the labor and time costs associated with organizational mistakes that can occur when containers are being on/off-loaded, moved and stacked in tiers for transfer to the rail or road network. It can be used to streamline the container transport, optimize the order of container on/off-loading and placement, as well as …

A Service Provisioning Platform For Beyond 3g - The Telecommunication Service Exchange, Donna Griffin

Theses

From the inception of mobile communications one of the most important factors contributing to its success has been a good understanding of user requirements. In the first generation, mobile networks offered subscribers the freedom to communicate regardless of their locations and the joy of instant access to voice telephony services. This provided a competitive edge over wire line communication networks and resulted in large revenue streams. However over the past decade, mobile network operators have been faced with a number of factors that have incurred significant costs and resulting reduced revenue. These factors include deregulation, increased competition and technological progress …

System Identification Of A Pasteurisation Process: A Comparison Of Direct And Indirect Methods, Niel Canty

Theses

The primary focus of this research is to identify a linear model for a direct steam injection (DSI) pasteurisation process which is a component of a large-scale pilot evaporation process widely used in the dairy industry. The pasteurisation process has been identified as a key component of the evaporation process. The author believes that no previously published work has focused on identifying models for a DSI pasteurisation process which makes this work an original contribution to the area. The pasteurisation process can be modelled as a single-input, single-output (SISO) process with a measurable disturbance. Thus two transfer functions were required …

Linux Based Pda Gateway For Wireless Sensor Networks, Áine Mccarthy

Theses

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the development and deployment of intelligent sensors and their use with a plethora of networking protocol technologies. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) can be used to monitor the environment, objects in the environment and the interaction of these objects with each other. Examples include environment and habitat monitoring, structural monitoring, disaster management and emergency response. The deployment of such large-scale WSN possess many challenges, the most important being scalability, portability, fault tolerance, adaptability and ubiquitous connectivity. There also exist many challenges when trying to establish communication with WSN. WSN can function as a …

Disappearing User Interface In Ubiquitous Computing: A Pointing And Gesture Sensing System Using An Ultrasonic And Radio Frequency Location Technology, Stephania Yimana Kigadye

Theses

Weiser’s [1] vision of ubiquitous computing presents a different paradigm of computing which attempts to push computers into the background towards invisibility. Therefore “new concepts for human-computer interaction have to be developed when envisioning ubiquitous computing scenarios [1]. Instead of a single screen-based user interface (UI), humans will interact with a number of devices that are distributed and interconnected. These eomputers range from highly personal and mobile applianees to systems that are integrated in everyday environments and are more or less invisible.”[7] As this project suggests, a disappearing user interface in ubiquitous computing can be designed as a gesture recognition …

Ultra Wide Band Radar For People Location And Tracking, Julien Le Kernec

Theses

The development of the UWB radar for people location and tracking was motivated by the need for a location and tracking system that performs well indoor. The objectives of the project are:

1. Conduct literature surveys of Ultra Wide Band and Location & Tracking.

2. Determine which UWB pulse is the most suitable for the UWB radar.

3. Design the concept of the UWB radar based on the literature reviews and the UWB pulse chosen.

4. Build an UWB radar prototype.

5. Measurement and Evaluation of the prototype.

This thesis introduces UWB key historical developments and properties; but also, its …

Next Generation Heterogenous Telemetry Modules, Pierce Brady

Theses

Remote monitoring is used in many applications within the scientific, industrial and commercial communities. These applications can range from the simple monitoring of wind farm generators to the complex behavioural monitoring of a local fox habitat to the simple but extremely urgent monitoring of water depth for a flood prone river. Each application of remote monitoring requires different aspects of the remote monitoring device, but typically, not all these applications can be implemented, as the technologies required for their construction are extremely large, expensive, energy inefficient, slow and do not meet the constraints for the given application.

However with the …

Efficient Strategies For Robust Constrained Model Predictive Control, Marcin Tomasz Cychowski

Theses

Practical difficulties associated with the implementation of stabilizing robust model predictive control (MPC) laws are well known. The algorithms typically rely on the solution of the so-called min-max optimization problem. All such algorithms display a large online computational burden and often suffer excessive conservativeness. In this thesis, two original algorithms will be developed that address the conservativeness and complexity issues in min-max MPC.

The first algorithm is a min-max MPC based on the concept of closed-loop prediction. The synthesis procedure is realized using linear matrix inequalities and thus the implementation of the closed-loop min-max MPC control law can be performed …

Real-Time Multi-Spectral Image Processing On The Adsp-Bf533 Dsp, Stephen Niall Coffey

Theses

As the need to process multi-spectral images in real-time is becoming more prevalent, the pressure on Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturers to produce cheap and reliable devices capable of handling the demands of such operations is growing. This project investigates the ADSP-BF533 Blackfin® Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and its ability to support a real-time multi-spectral imaging system. The Blackfin® DSP, incorporating the Analog Devices/Intel Micro Signal Architecture (MSA), are a broad family of 16-bit fixed-point product with a dual Multiply Accumulate (MAC) core.

Using the MicroC/OS-II Real-time Operating System (RTOS), which is a completely portable and scaleable pre-emptive real-time kernel, the …

A 10-Bit 100msample/S Pipeline Analog- To-Digital Converter In Cmos, Pieter Berkelaar

Theses

High speed, medium resolution ADC’s, are required for many applications, including wireless receivers, ultrasound systems, wireline interfaces, cameras and camcorders. Low power dissipation is important, particularly for portable equipment where battery life must be maximised. The pipeline ADC architecture is particularly suited to such applications. Its strength comes from the manner in which it performs a conversion, distributing the work in time and amongst successive stages. These stages operate concurrently, maintaining high throughput. Each stage is made up of a fully differential switched capacitor sample-and- hold amplifier and some other circuitry. Designing these circuits to operate at l00MHz is extremely …

An Evaluation Of Model-Based Predictive Control, Daniel Czarkowski

Theses

This thesis attempts to determine whether advanced control algorithms offer any real benefits to the process industry in terms of optimising single-input single output process units. To establish this, an ideal PID controller, Two Degree of Freedom (2 DOF) PID Controller and the Generalised Predictive Controller (GPC) are compared. A common design philosophy is applied based on optimising performance subject to constraints on robustness. Specifically, three different designs are examined; minimum subject to constraints on the gain and phase margin, minimum lAE subject to constraints on the modulus margin and minimum lAE subject to constraints on the input sensitivity function. …

Robust Colour Segmentation Under Dynamic Lighting Conditions, Noreen Mary Looney

Theses

Traditionally, the issue of colour constancy has limited the success of colour image segmentation algorithms. Numerous methods exist to achieve colour constancy for different applications. The principal contribution of this thesis is the investigation of a suitable technique for the problem of robust colour based object detection.

Appropriate colour models are investigated and analysed in order to assess their ability to enhance the isolation process. Models that possess suitable colour constancy characteristics are chosen for use with image segmentation algorithms. Reviews of existing sur\'eys of image segmentation algorithms are appraised for the emergence of a suitable colour image segmentation technique. …

Characterisation, Modelling And Performance Evaluation Of Cmos Integrated Rf-Mems Multielectrode Tunable Capacitor, Zbigniew Olszewski

Theses

The circuits used in telecommunications are made of two types of components; active integrated circuits that have continuously been improved together with the evolution of the Si technology and off-chip and on-chip passive components. The latter did not profit from much development and now constitute the bottleneck for further integration of RF (Radio Frequency) integrated circuits. MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) is rapidly emerging as an enabling technology to yield a new generation of high performance components to replace off-chip (not integrated) and on-chip (poor performance) counterparts. The RF components (RF-MEMS) that can be fabricated with MEMS technology are mainly the resonator, …

Automated Control Of Led-Based Illumination Using Image Analysis Metrics, Stephen Mills

Theses

This project discusses a microprocessor controlled illumination system that covers the visible spectrum. It uses multiple discrete wavelength LEDs. Spatial and spectral illumination profiles are achieved by controlling LED currents with an array of voltage controlled current sources. A highly efficient polycarbonate holographic diffuser is used to improve the uniformity of the distribution. System design is underpinned by accurate characterisation and modelling of the LEDs used.

Image analysis techniques are then used to parameterise the recorded scene and to provide a figure of merit for the quality of the illumination. Several functions such as contrast, low/high saturation, average brightness and …

Multispectral Camera Control And High Speed Image Transfer Using Lossless Hardware Compression, Padraig Ryan

Theses

This work provides extensions of a standard D-Cam/Firewire digital camera platform for use within a multispectral imaging setting and includes real-time lossless image compression targeted at the re-configurable environment of an FPGA. The control and image acquisition structures specific to multispectral systems are detailed with respect to an embedded firmware solution, complementary host PC software driver routines, and camera hardware control infrastructures. The augmentation of the standards based implementation is discussed without compromising compliance with underlying specifications. The mandate for image data acquisition includes glue logic to efficiently transmit data via a high-speed communications pipe, IEEE - 1394 in this …

Controller Design And Web-Based Simulation For A Pasteurisation Process, Luis Torres

Theses

The basic PID controller remains the most commonly used automatic feedback control technique in industry. Many tuning techniques exist for this controller and the use of tuning rules remains very popular, both in industry and academia. This thesis is concerned with the practical evaluation of a selected number of PID tuning rules. The rules were to be evaluated on an industrial pilot-scale milk pasteurisation process. However, most of these rules could not be tested on the real plant as the industrial distributed control system was quite inflexible and did not permit many of the more advanced PID structures e.g. two-degree …