As the circuit density and clock rate in SIP or SOC getting higher, the crosstalk interference between interconnects becomes more and more serious. This results in the degradation of signal integrity. Full wave simulation softwares such as HFSS are often used to analyze the characteristics of the transmission system, but the computation time is relatively long and it is difficult to integrate with active circuits. On the other hand, circuit simulation softwares such as ADS has the advantages of simplicity and needs less simulation time. The circuit simulation softwares is so far the best tool of designing high speed circuits. Usually obtain scalable equivalent macro-model in the existing literature with the technology of the frequency-domain, but using the technology of the time-domain to construct scalable equivalent macro-model have more direct, convenient and low-cost. Therefore, considering cost and practicability, this thesis develops a systematic method using the method of Pencil Matrix in time domain to obtain the scalable broadband equivalent macro-model of the components of high-speed interconnect structures. The developed macro-models can be applied to existing simulation softwares for a fast and accurate analysis of systems such as SIP.

The position-dependent effective mass (PDEM) problem is of enormous importance to the realization of the extended Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approximation in bound state calculations for semiconductor heterostructures. By studying some model problems, we show that the extended WKB method provides good approximations for the bound states with the high eigenenergies. In addition, the effect of the smoothness of the effective mass distribution functions and potential barrier in the PDEM problems is discussed in our work. We found the precision can be affected by the effective mass and potential barrier in the PDEM.

Thesis (M.L.A.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

In the field of aeronautics (Aircraft, helicopters, space launchers...), as in the field of the automobile, reducing the harmful effects of acoustics constitutes a major concern at the international level and justifies the call for further research. With these challenges in mind, the manufacturers have expressed the need for simple models immediately available as early as the stage of preliminary drafts. This Master's Thesis presents the study and the validation of three different approaches to meet this industrial need. The first approach is based on the propagation of waves in the structure; the second approach uses the technique of SEA by calculating the equivalent damping; and the last approach uses the modal technique.In the three approaches, the transfer matrix method has been used to study the succession of layers. Applying these approaches to some aircraft structures confirm their relevance in relation to more exact and costly methods, such as the finite elements method.

Control design for flexible robots is a challenging problem. Part of the difficulty comes from a lack of controls-focused modeling tools. Practical flexible robots have several aspects that make them difficult to model: continuous elements, complicated actuators, multiple feedback loops, non-collocated sensors and actuators, and the ability to take on arbitrary three-dimensional poses. Even if existing techniques for modeling flexible structures could model the closed-loop response of a hydraulically-actuated flexible robot with a vibration suppression controller, how would such a model be used for control design? This work presents the development of a modeling approach that meets the needs of a controls engineer. The approach is based on the transfer matrix method (TMM). The TMM has been expanded in several ways to enable it to accurately model practical flexible robots. Quantitative agreement is shown between model and experiment for the interaction of a hydraulic actuator and a flexible structure as well as for the closed-loop response of a system with vibration suppression. Once the ability to model the closed-loop response of the system has been demonstrated, this work focuses on using the model for control design. Control design is facilitated by symbolic implementation of the TMM, which allows closed-form expressions for the closed-loop response of the system to be found without discretization. These closed-form expressions will be transcendental transfer functions for systems with continuous elements. These transfer functions can then be used in various optimization approaches for designing the closed-loop system response.

In recent high-speed digital circuits, the simultaneous switching noise (SSN) or ground bounce noise (GBN) is induced due to the transient currents flowing between power and ground planes during the state transitions of the logic gates. In order to¡@analyze the effect of GBN on power delivery systems effectively and accurately, the impedance of power/ground is an important index to evaluate power delivery systems. In the operating frequency bandwidth, the power impedance must be less than the target impedance. The typical way to suppress the SSN is adding decoupling capacitors to create a low impedance path between power and ground planes. By using the admittance matrix method, we can evaluate the effect of decoupling capacitors mounted on PCB fast and accurately reducing the time needed from the empirical or try-and-error design cycle. In order to reduce the cost of decoupling capacitors, the genetic algorithm is employed to optimize the placement of decoupling capacitors to suppress the GBN. The decoupling capacitor are not effective in the GHz frequency range due to their inherent lead inductance. The electromagnetic bandgap(EBG) structure can produce a stopband to prevent the noise from disperseing at higher frequency. Combining decoupling capacitors with EBG structure to find the optimum placement for suppression of the SSN by using the genetic algorithm.

The thesis proposes a hybrid broadband equivalent model extraction method, and our goal is to combine via structure and irregular transmission line in print circuit board for extraction of broadband SPICE-compatible model by using the time domain algorithm and full wave simulation in frequency domain, respectively. We can construct broadband SPICE-compatible macro-model scalable library with two kind of different extraction methods, tow kind of extraction of equivalent model can construct the circuit structure for designer demand. Every modules of the broadband macro model of the two extraction models are represented by the optimum pole-residue forms. Using a systematic lumped-model extraction technique, all the optimum pole-residue rational functions can be transfered into a corresponding lumped circuit model. The accuracy of Extraction of Broadband Equivalent Models is demonstrated in frequency -domain responses compared with the 3D-FDTD or HFSS simulation. In addition, the extraction model can simulate in commercial tools effectively, ex: Hspice¡BADS. Even the model can simulate signal integrality and power integrality in Hspice or ADS.

The McTronX Research Group at the North-West University is conducting research in the field of Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) with the aim of establishing a knowledge base for future industry consultation. AMBs are environmentally friendly and are a necessity in the pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR), a South-African initiated project, which is predicted to be the means of supplying Africa and many other countries with modular energy in the future. Aside from the PBMR, there are numerous other AMB industrial applications. The aim of this project is to develop a comprehensive AMB model that considers the effect that rotor dynamics has on an AMB system. This model is used to analyse a double radial AMB, capable of suspending a rigid- and flexible rotor, to explain previously noticed phenomena. Two modelling methods are focussed on namely the System Matrix Method and Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) both of which are implemented in MATLAB®. The rigid rotor model is firstly implemented as a point mass in state-space form followed by use of the TMM to analyse its bending modes. The stability and critical speeds of the system are analysed due to a change in the supports' properties along with rotor gyroscopy and its effect on the system. During analysis of the flexible rotor the TMM was used via a similar approach as was followed with the rigid rotor. The results indicate that the system is experiencing lower than expected damping due to the model that is used within the control loop. The previously assumed rotor model in the control loop is not sufficient to describe its complex behaviour. This causes the unexpected damping characteristics. This project suggests future work to be conducted in expanding the frequency domain model of the rotor within the control loop to account for its physical shape. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Computer and Electronical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The McTronX Research Group at the North-West University is conducting research in the field of Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) with the aim of establishing a knowledge base for future industry consultation. AMBs are environmentally friendly and are a necessity in the pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR), a South-African initiated project, which is predicted to be the means of supplying Africa and many other countries with modular energy in the future. Aside from the PBMR, there are numerous other AMB industrial applications. The aim of this project is to develop a comprehensive AMB model that considers the effect that rotor dynamics has on an AMB system. This model is used to analyse a double radial AMB, capable of suspending a rigid- and flexible rotor, to explain previously noticed phenomena. Two modelling methods are focussed on namely the System Matrix Method and Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) both of which are implemented in MATLAB®. The rigid rotor model is firstly implemented as a point mass in state-space form followed by use of the TMM to analyse its bending modes. The stability and critical speeds of the system are analysed due to a change in the supports' properties along with rotor gyroscopy and its effect on the system. During analysis of the flexible rotor the TMM was used via a similar approach as was followed with the rigid rotor. The results indicate that the system is experiencing lower than expected damping due to the model that is used within the control loop. The previously assumed rotor model in the control loop is not sufficient to describe its complex behaviour. This causes the unexpected damping characteristics. This project suggests future work to be conducted in expanding the frequency domain model of the rotor within the control loop to account for its physical shape. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Computer and Electronical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Atmospheric mineral dust has a large impact on the earth’s radiation balance and climate. The radiative effects of mineral dust depend on factors including, particle size, shape, and composition which can all be extremely complex. Mineral dust particles are typically irregular in shape and can include sharp edges, voids, and fine scale surface roughness. Particle shape can also depend on the type of mineral and can vary as a function of particle size. In addition, atmospheric mineral dust is a complex mixture of different minerals as well as other, possibly organic, components that have been mixed in while these particles are suspended in the atmosphere. Aerosol optical properties are investigated in this work, including studies of the effect of particle size, shape, and composition on the infrared (IR) extinction and visible scattering properties in order to achieve more accurate modeling methods. Studies of particle shape effects on dust optical properties for single component mineral samples of silicate clay and diatomaceous earth are carried out here first. Experimental measurements are modeled using T-matrix theory in a uniform spheroid approximation. Previous efforts to simulate the measured optical properties of silicate clay, using models that assumed particle shape was independent of particle size, have achieved only limited success. However, a model which accounts for a correlation between particle size and shape for the silicate clays offers a large improvement over earlier modeling approaches. Diatomaceous earth is also studied as an example of a single component mineral dust aerosol with extreme particle shapes. A particle shape distribution, determined by fitting the experimental IR extinction data, used as a basis for modeling the visible light scattering properties. While the visible simulations show only modestly good agreement with the scattering data, the fits are generally better than those obtained using more commonly invoked particle shape distributions. The next goal of this work is to investigate if modeling methods developed in the studies of single mineral components can be generalized to predict the optical properties of more authentic aerosol samples which are complex mixtures of different minerals. Samples of Saharan sand, Iowa loess, and Arizona road dust are used here as test cases. T-matrix based simulations of the authentic samples, using measured particle size distributions, empirical mineralogies, and a priori particle shape models for each mineral component are directly compared with the measured IR extinction spectra and visible scattering profiles. This modeling approach offers a significant improvement over more commonly applied models that ignore variations in particle shape with size or mineralogy and include only a moderate range of shape parameters. Mineral dust samples processed with organic acids and humic material are also studied in order to explore how the optical properties of dust can change after being aged in the atmosphere. Processed samples include quartz mixed with humic material, and calcite reacted with acetic and oxalic acid. Clear differences in the light scattering properties are observed for all three processed mineral dust samples when compared to the unprocessed mineral dust or organic salt products. These interactions result in both internal and external mixtures depending on the sample. In addition, the presence of these organic materials can alter the mineral dust particle shape. Overall, however, these results demonstrate the need to account for the effects of atmospheric aging of mineral dust on aerosol optical properties. Particle shape can also affect the aerodynamic properties of mineral dust aerosol. In order to account for these effects, the dynamic shape factor is used to give a measure of particle asphericity. Dynamic shape factors of quartz are measured by mass and mobility selecting particles and measuring their vacuum aerodynamic diameter. From this, dynamic shape factors in both the transition and vacuum regime can be derived. The measured dynamic shape factors of quartz agree quite well with the spheroidal shape distributions derived through studies of the optical properties.