This thesis proposes an interactive software tool that can be used to compute complete sets of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Controllers from knowledge of the plant transfer function/frequency response data. This is based on research results and algorithms developed by Bhattacharyya and others. Until these research results were published, it was not known if a nominal system could be stabilized using PID Controllers, and current PID Controller designs are carried out using ad hoc tuning rules. By using simulations, engineers can best plan for and observe the stabilizing effect each of the variables has on system performance in a realistic environment. The software application developed calculates and optimizes complete stabilizing sets of PID Controllers for a rational Linear Time Invariant (LTI) system, and has been developed for analytical models of plants with and without time delay. Further, these PID Controller sets are optimized to project subsets simultaneously satisfying multiple performance index specifications. Sets of PID Controllers that stabilize a system are also calculated automatically from knowledge of the frequency response of the plant. It allows the user ease of design and the ability to customize the final solution while permitting full control over source parameters. This thesis includes an introduction to the algorithms that have been developed for plant stabilization, a complete description of the graphical user interface, the simulation of the algorithms performed using LabVIEW, and a summary of future work.

This thesis proposes an interactive software tool that can be used to compute complete sets of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Controllers from knowledge of the plant transfer function/frequency response data. This is based on research results and algorithms developed by Bhattacharyya and others. Until these research results were published, it was not known if a nominal system could be stabilized using PID Controllers, and current PID Controller designs are carried out using ad hoc tuning rules. By using simulations, engineers can best plan for and observe the stabilizing effect each of the variables has on system performance in a realistic environment. The software application developed calculates and optimizes complete stabilizing sets of PID Controllers for a rational Linear Time Invariant (LTI) system, and has been developed for analytical models of plants with and without time delay. Further, these PID Controller sets are optimized to project subsets simultaneously satisfying multiple performance index specifications. Sets of PID Controllers that stabilize a system are also calculated automatically from knowledge of the frequency response of the plant. It allows the user ease of design and the ability to customize the final solution while permitting full control over source parameters. This thesis includes an introduction to the algorithms that have been developed for plant stabilization, a complete description of the graphical user interface, the simulation of the algorithms performed using LabVIEW, and a summary of future work.

<p>Real-time networks are traditionally built on proprietary standards, resulting in a interoperability issues between different real-time netork implementations and traditional data networks mainly used in back office operations.</p><p>Continuity and supplier independence are a cause of concern with current</p><p>proprietary real-time networks.</p><p>This project evaluates the capability of providing real-time traffic over</p><p>switched Ethernet with EDF scheduling algorithm implemented at both the</p><p>switch and the node. By using OMNET simulation tool at packet level, it</p><p>is shown that the EDF implementation in switched Ethernet can guarantee</p><p>real-time traffic over the network and at the same time supporting non real-time traffic.</p>

Real-time networks are traditionally built on proprietary standards, resulting in a interoperability issues between different real-time netork implementations and traditional data networks mainly used in back office operations. Continuity and supplier independence are a cause of concern with current proprietary real-time networks. This project evaluates the capability of providing real-time traffic over switched Ethernet with EDF scheduling algorithm implemented at both the switch and the node. By using OMNET simulation tool at packet level, it is shown that the EDF implementation in switched Ethernet can guarantee real-time traffic over the network and at the same time supporting non real-time traffic.

No description available.

Leaky-waves have been a topic of increasing interest in the last years, with diverse practical applications in many different engineering fields. From periodic, FSS, EBG or even metamaterial leaky-wave based antennas to waveguide filters and higher efficiency energy guiding, they all share a common base structure: a travelling-wave propagating within a metal encapsulation, that can be open or closed, and altered by a planar metallization of periodic nature, from which the energy may radiate. Due to the fact that these antennas are usually electrically large and the periodic printed circuit requires a certain grade of complexity, 3D commercial software is prohibitively time consuming. Also, the homebrew methods developed up to this day are either not rigorous and accurate enough or unable to deal with complex periodic geometries. At this point, the evolution of leaky-wave antennas needs a solid, efficient and versatile tool where to base the future design research on. In this work a novel simulation tool for waveguide embedded leaky-wave antennas is presented. It is based on a full-wave Method of Moments applied to the spectral domain Green Functions for a rigorous modal analysis of the finite structure. The use of Subdomain basis functions allows the software to model complex periodic geometries, overcoming a main limitation, and the analytical nature of the method combined with its 2.5D approach, results in a significant computing time reduction. It is built on a modular coding philosophy and provided with a user-friendly graphical interface, and an intuitive working procedure, making the program not only fast and accurate, but also easy to use and extend to new geometries. Finally, it is remarkable the educational potential of this new analysis software, since it identifies higher order effects as bandgaps and multi-harmonic radiation from a complete and simple modal approach.

In this thesis, co-design and co-verification of a microcontroller hardware and software using SystemC is studied. For this purpose, an MC68HC11 microcontroller unit, a test bench that contains input and output modules for the verification of microcontroller unit are implemented using SystemC programming language and a visual simulation program is developed using C# programming language in Microsoft .NET platform. SystemC is a C++ class library that is used for co-designing hardware and software of a system. One of the advantages of using SystemC in system design is the ability to design each module of the system in different abstraction levels. In this thesis, test bench modules are designed in a high abstraction level and microcontroller hardware modules are designed in a lower abstraction level. At the end, a simulation platform that is used for co-simulation and co-verification of hardware and software modules of overall system is developed by combining microcontroller implementation, test bench modules, test software and visual simulation program. Simulations at different levels are performed on the system in the developed simulation platform. Simulation results helped observing errors in designed modules easily and making corrections until all results verified designed hardware modules. This stuation showed that co-designing and co-verifying hardware and software of a system helps finding errors and making corrections in early stages of system design cycle and so reducing design time of the system.

Laser assisted weapons, such as laser guided bombs, laser guided missiles and laser beam-riding missiles pose a significant threat to military assets in the modern battlefield. Laser beam-riding missiles are particularly hard to detect because they use low power lasers. Most laser warning systems produced so far can not detect laser beam-riding missiles because of their weak emissions which have signals less than 1% of laser range finder power . They are even harder to defeat because current counter-measures are not designed to work against this threat. The aim of this project is to examine the vulnerability of laser warning systems against guided weapons, to build an evaluation tool for laser warning sensors (LWS) and seekers, and try to find suitable counter-measures for laser beam-riding missiles that use low power lasers in their guidance systems. The project comes about because of the unexpected results obtained from extensive field trials carried out on various LWRs in the United Arab Emirates desert, where severe weather conditions may be experienced. The objective was to help find a solution for these systems to do their job in protecting the tanks and armoured vehicles crews from such a threat. In order to approach the subject, a computer model has been developed to enable the assessment of all phases of a laser warning receiver and missile seeker. MATLAB & SIMULINK software have been used to build the model. During this process experimentation and field trials have been carried out to verify the reliability of the model. This project will enable both the evaluation and design of any generic laser warning receiver or missile seeker and specific systems if various parameters are known. Moreover, this model will be used as a guide to the development of reliable countermeasures for laser beam-riding missiles.

Laser assisted weapons, such as laser guided bombs, laser guided missiles and laser beam-riding missiles pose a significant threat to military assets in the modern battlefield. Laser beam-riding missiles are particularly hard to detect because they use low power lasers. Most laser warning systems produced so far can not detect laser beam-riding missiles because of their weak emissions which have signals less than 1% of laser range finder power . They are even harder to defeat because current counter-measures are not designed to work against this threat. The aim of this project is to examine the vulnerability of laser warning systems against guided weapons, to build an evaluation tool for laser warning sensors (LWS) and seekers, and try to find suitable counter-measures for laser beam-riding missiles that use low power lasers in their guidance systems. The project comes about because of the unexpected results obtained from extensive field trials carried out on various LWRs in the United Arab Emirates desert, where severe weather conditions may be experienced. The objective was to help find a solution for these systems to do their job in protecting the tanks and armoured vehicles crews from such a threat. In order to approach the subject, a computer model has been developed to enable the assessment of all phases of a laser warning receiver and missile seeker. MATLAB & SIMULINK software have been used to build the model. During this process experimentation and field trials have been carried out to verify the reliability of the model. This project will enable both the evaluation and design of any generic laser warning receiver or missile seeker and specific systems if various parameters are known. Moreover, this model will be used as a guide to the development of reliable countermeasures for laser beam-riding missiles.

The building sector consumes 32% of global energy used, and it is responsible for 20% of total greenhouse gases emissions. In Europe, more than one third of the buildings are 50 years or older, thus, it is critical that new dwellings are designed in the most efficient way from an energy perspective, since the consequences of the decisions taken today will remain during decades. The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software is promising for the design of a wide range of constructions; from small dwellings to big apartment buildings. These programs allow the architect, designer or civil consultant to perform several simulations of the energy behavior of a building in a timely manner, even before a single brick is put in place. Among them, IDA ICE software utilized in this thesis is a top rated program, situated by some authors within the four main building energy simulation tools. This is an outstanding fact considering that it is estimated in more than 400 the number of available BIM programs. With the help of IDA ICE it will be demonstrated that for a dwelling object of study, located in Madrid (Spain), it is possible to save up to 4 250€ through the entire life of the building if the proper orientation is chosen. The discussed literature and results will also show that orientation is, by far, the most critical passive design parameter related to a building, from which the efficacy of other related measures depends on.   It will be also proven that the optimal orientation depends on the weather where the dwelling is located, even though a general trend consisting in orienting the houses located in the northern hemisphere to the south, and vice versa, is observed. Building orientation, BIM programs, building energy consumption, passive design parameters, IDA-ICE simulation tool.