The objective of this thesis is to provide additional insight into the electrode array-nerve fibre interface that exists in the implanted cochlea and to facilitate investigation of new electrode arrays in interaction with the cochlea and auditory nerve fibres. The focus is on potential distributions and excitation profiles generated by different electrode array types and factors that could have an influence on these distributions and profiles. Research contributions made by the thesis are the creation of a detailed 3-D model of the implanted cochlea that accurately predicts measurable effects in cochlear implant wearers and facilitates effortless simulation of existing and new electrode array variations; the establishment of the important anatomical structures required in a 3-D representation of the implanted cochlea; establishment of evidence that array location is the primary parameter that controls spread of excitation; definition of the critical focussing intensity of intracochlear electrode pairs; confirmation thatmonopolar stimulation could deliver focussed stimulation to approximately the same degree than that delivered by widely spaced electrode configurations and that the use of monopolar configurations over bipolar configurations are therefore advantageous under certain conditions; explanation of the effect that encapsulation tissue around cochlear implant electrodes could have on neural excitation profiles; extension of the information available on the focussing ability of multipolar intracochlear electrode configurations; and establishment of evidence that a higher lateral electrode density could facilitate better focussing of excitation, continuous shaping of excitation profiles and postoperative customization of electrode arrays for individual implant wearers. / Dissertation (PhD(Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / Unrestricted

Phased array antennas, capable of controlling the direction of their radiated beam, are demanded by many conventional as well as modern systems. Applications such as automotive collision avoidance radar, inter-satellite communication links and future man-portable satellite communication on move services require reconfigurable beam systems with stress on mobility and cost effectiveness. Microwave phase shifters are key components of phased antenna arrays. A phase shifter is a device that controls the phase of the signal passing through it. Among the technologies used to realize this device, traditional ferrite waveguide phase shifters offer the best performance. However, they are bulky and difficult to integrate with other system components. Recently, ferrite material has been introduced in Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) multilayer packaging technology. This enables the integration of ferrite based components with other microwave circuitry in a compact, light-weight and mass producible package. Additionally, the recent concept of Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) allowed realization of synthesized rectangular waveguide-like structures in planar and multilayer substrates. These SIW structures have been shown to maintain the merits of conventional rectangular waveguides such as low loss and high power handling capabilities while being planar and easily integrable with other components. Implementing SIW structures inside a multilayer ferrite LTCC package enables monolithic integration of phase shifters and phased arrays representing a true System on Package (SoP) solution. It is the objective of this thesis to pursue realizing efficient integrated phase shifters and phased arrays combining the above mentioned technologies, namely Ferrite LTCC and SIW. In this work, a novel SIW phase shifter in ferrite LTCC package is designed, fabricated and tested. The device is able to operate reciprocally as well as non-reciprocally. Demonstrating a measured maximum reciprocal phase shift of 132o and maximum non-reciprocal shift of 118o at 12 GHz. Additionally a slotted SIW antenna is designed and integrated with the phase shifter in an array format, demonstrating a beam scanning of ± 15o. The design is highly suitable for mobile automotive radars and satellite communications systems.

Phased array receivers are a set of antenna elements that are capable of forming multiple simultaneous beams over a field of view. In radio astronomy, the study of deep space radio sources, a phased array feed (PAF) is placed at the focus of a large dish telescope that spatially samples the focal plane. PAFs provide an increase in the field of view as compared to the traditional single pixel horn feed, thereby increasing survey speed while maintaining low sensitivity. Phased arrays are also capable of radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation which is useful in both radio astronomy and wireless communications when detecting signals in the presence of interferers such as satellites. Digital signal processing algorithms are used to process and analyze data provided by phased array receivers. During the commissioning of the Focal-plane L-band Array feed for the Green Bank telescope (FLAG), sensitivity consistent with an equivalent system temperature below 18 K was measured. To demonstrate the astronomical capability of the receiver, a pulsar (PSR B2011+38) was detected, and an HI source (NGC4258) was mapped with the real-time beamformer and fine channel correlator, respectively. This work also details improvements made to the software of the FLAG digital backend such as the design and implementation of an algorithm to remove scalloping ripple from the spectrum of two cascading polyphase filter banks (PFB). This work will also provide a brief introduction to a model-based beam interpolation algorithm capable of increasing spatial resolution of radio source maps as well as reducing time spent performing calibration. The development of a phased array receiver digital back end for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is also detailed. This broadband system will be capable of communication in hostile RFI-rich environments with the aid of a real-time RFI mitigation algorithm currently implemented in software. This algorithm will be compatible with other PAF receiver systems and will enable RFI mitigation in other applications such as radio astronomy. This work will provide details on the implementation of this algorithm, the development and modification of other system software as well as full system tests of the 150 MHz bandwidth receiver have been conducted and will be shown in this document.

Phased array receivers are a set of antenna elements that are capable of forming multiple simultaneous beams over a field of view. In radio astronomy, the study of deep space radio sources, a phased array feed (PAF) is placed at the focus of a large dish telescope that spatially samples the focal plane. PAFs provide an increase in the field of view as compared to the traditional single pixel horn feed, thereby increasing survey speed while maintaining low sensitivity. Phased arrays are also capable of radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation which is useful in both radio astronomy and wireless communications when detecting signals in the presence of interferers such as satellites. Digital signal processing algorithms are used to process and analyze data provided by phased array receivers. During the commissioning of the Focal-plane L-band Array feed for the Green Bank telescope (FLAG), sensitivity consistent with an equivalent system temperature below 18 K was measured. To demonstrate the astronomical capability of the receiver, a pulsar (PSR B2011+38) was detected, and an HI source (NGC4258) was mapped with the real-time beamformer and fine channel correlator, respectively. This work also details improvements made to the software of the FLAG digital backend such as the design and implementation of an algorithm to remove scalloping ripple from the spectrum of two cascading polyphase filter banks (PFB). This work will also provide a brief introduction to a model-based beam interpolation algorithm capable of increasing spatial resolution of radio source maps as well as reducing time spent performing calibration. The development of a phased array receiver digital back end for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is also detailed. This broadband system will be capable of communication in hostile RFI-rich environments with the aid of a real-time RFI mitigation algorithm currently implemented in software. This algorithm will be compatible with other PAF receiver systems and will enable RFI mitigation in other applications such as radio astronomy. This work will provide details on the implementation of this algorithm, the development and modification of other system software as well as full system tests of the 150 MHz bandwidth receiver have been conducted and will be shown in this document.

Alkanethiols spontaneously assembles from solution or vapour on oxide free metal surfaces resulting in a close-packed molecular stuctures with a high degree of orientation and molecular order. In this study, inkjet printing technique is used to immobilize monolayers of alkanethiols on gold electrodes. The quality of the inkjetted monolayers are analyzed by electrochemical methods, i.e. cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and by Polarization Modulation Infrared Reflection-Absorption Spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) which show a similar molecular quality to those produced by immersion technique, the standard technique. The kinetic and mass transfer behaviours of micro-scale structures of inkjetted monolayers, e.g. bands and dots array electrodes, are explored by electrochemical methods. The microscale inkjetted structures of monolayers are of interest in the fields of microelectronic devices (e.g. chemical and biosensors) and optoelectronic devices. Taking benefits from multichannel existing in the printhead, mixtures of SAMs are demonstrated. Mixing of monolayers differing in functional groups provides a model surface to study interface phenomena at molecular level such as ion permeation, selective chemical binding, and electron transfer kinetic.

Cette thèse vise à développer des antennes large bande à double polarisation avec un filtre et un dispositif d’adaptation d’impédance et d’alimentation intégrés, que nous avons définies comme antennes versatiles intriquées. La largeur de la bande et la double polarisation permettent d’utiliser l’antenne avec différents standards et donc d’être versatile. D'autre part, le filtre pour rejeter les harmoniques supérieurs et le réseau d'adaptation sont des parties intégrantes de l'élément rayonnant et lui confèrent le caractère intriqué. La première étude porte sur la conception d'une antenne large bande à double polarisation avec un filtre intégré dans le dispositif d’alimentation. Le filtre permet de rejeter les harmoniques indésirables. La structure complète est compacte et de dimensions 0.9 λ0x0.9 λ0, λ0 étant la longueur d’onde en espace libre à la fréquence basse. Afin d’augmenter la compacité, nous présentons ensuite une antenne à suppression des harmoniques (HSA : Harmonic Suppressed Antenna) large bande à simple et à double polarisation. Ce travail explore les différentes techniques utilisées pour concevoir une HSA. Dans cette approche, l'élément rayonnant, le filtre qui permet de rejeter le rayonnement d’harmoniques hors bande et le réseau d'adaptation, qui sont traditionnellement des circuits séparés, sont intégrés dans une seule unité compacte. La taille totale de l'antenne est 0.53 λ0x0.53 λ0. Le dernier chapitre présente une des HSA développées associée à un conducteur magnétique artificiel non-uniforme. Cette structure permet l’obtention d’une antenne large bande de faible épaisseur et directive. / This thesis aims to develop wideband antennas interrelated with a filter, which we have defined as versatile intricate antennas. The antenna is versatile as it provides wide bandwidth (more than one octave) and has the capability to generate two orthogonal polarizations. On the other hand, the filter for harmonic rejection and the matching network are integrated parts of the radiating element and give it the intricate character.The first study is concentrated on designing a dual polarized antenna with a wide stop filter integrated to the feeding network. This filter enables to reject harmonics and unwanted response. The complete structure is compact with a size of 0.9 λ0x0.9 λ0, λ0 being the free space wavelength at the lowest frequency. In order to improve the compactness of the whole system and to cover more standards, we present a single and dual polarized wideband Harmonic Suppressed Antenna (HSA). This work explores the different techniques used to design a HAS. The proposed antenna is simple in structure but versatile in applications. In this approach, radiating element, filter for harmonic rejection and matching network, which are traditionally separated circuits, are incorporated into a single compact unit. The total size of the antenna is 0.53 λ0x0.53λ0. The final chapter aims to study the previous intricate antenna with a new wideband Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) structure as reflector in order to obtain a low profile and directive antenna.

This thesis reports the design and fabrication of a low-cost reliable microelectrode array sensing platform and its application toward water quality monitoring, including heavy metal ion detection. Individually addressable microelectrodes were designed in a planar array on a nonconductive glass substrate by a photolithography method. The size, shape, composition, and functionality of the microelectrodes were theoretically explored in order to maximize performance. The microelectrode array sensing platform was proven and characterized in the K3Fe(CN)6 electrochemical standard using cyclic voltammetry. The sensor platform exhibited well defined voltammograms and had increased sensitivity relative to a commercially available microelectrode of similar size. Feasibility for application to heavy metal ions, copper and lead, detection in aqueous solutions was demonstrated utilizing the electrochemical method of anodic stripping voltammetry. Well defined voltammograms for the copper and lead ions were obtained with individual microelectrodes of the sensor platform, and compared against the similar sized commercially available microelectrode; increased sensitivity was observed.

The growing complexity of integrated circuits and the large variety of architectures of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) require sophisticated logic design tools. In the beginning of the eighties the research in logic design was concentrated on the development of fast two-level AND-OR logic minimizers like the well known ESPRESSO. However, most logic functions have a smaller and often faster circuit realization as a multi-level circuit. Thus, synthesis tools emerged for the minimization of the circuit area in a multi-level realization. Most of these synthesis tools are based on the "unate paradigm". Therefore, the synthesis methods are only advantageous for functions having a minimal circuit realization based on AND-OR gates. However, many common functions have a minmal circuit realization having a mix of AND, OR and EXOR gates like counters, adders, multipliers, and parity generators. Therefore, the design of such functions with synthesis tools based on the "unated paradigm" is very inefficient. Circuits incorporating the EXOR gate have received less attention than AND-OR circuits because the EXOR gate was perceived as slower and larger in terms of its circuit realization than the AND and the OR gate. However, the upcoming of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) like the Xilinx Table-Look-Up (TLU) architecture the Actel ACTâ„¢ series and the CLi 6000 series from Concurrent Logic, which allow the realization of the EXOR gate with the same speed and circuit cost as the AND and OR gate, eliminates the disadvantages of the EXOR gate over the AND and OR gate. Thus, there is a strong need for logic synthesis tools that take advantage of EXOR gates. The mapping to the new FPGAs recently obtained an increased interest. The developed synthesis algorithms for FPGAs are based on the mapping and restructuring of the Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) representation of the logic function. Even though the new FPGAs allow the realization of the EXOR gate without any speed and circuit size penalty in comparison to the AND and OR gate, the synthesis methods have been based on the "unate paradigm". To overcome the disadvantages of the current logic synthesis tools with respect to (nearly) linear functions and FPGA synthesis, this dissertation introduces an extended theory of spectral methods for multiple-valued input, incompletely specified binary output logic. The spectral methods have not been popular in logic synthesis because of their four major drawbacks: (1) the computational complexity, especially if no Fast Transform exists, (2) the memory requirement to store the function in the necessary minterm representation, (3) they cannot take efficiently advantage of incompletely specified functions, (4) suitable only for few applications in logic synthesis. To overcome the two last stated drawbacks, this dissertation introduces the T spectrum. The T spectrum separates the information obtained for the specified and not specified parts of the underlying function. Thus, it is possible to determine directly the contribution of the specified and the not specified part of the function to a single spectral coefficient. Moreover, the T spectrum is an extension of the known spectra like Walshtype, Adding, Arithmetic, and Reed-Muller spectra to any orthogonal and nonorthogonal transform describing logic functions. Thus, transforms can be constructed that describe certain gate structures, as for example the realizable functions of a FPGA macrocell. This allows the development of special synthesis algorithms for the different types of FPGA architectures. As an exemplification of this method, a complete multi-level synthesis algorithm is introduced for the circuit realization with multiplexer modules, which form the basic macrocell of the Actel ACfâ„¢ FPGA series. Additionally, this dissertation presents the classification of the applications of spectral methods in logic synthesis into three categories: (1) The decomposition of logic functions based on the information obtained by the computation of a single spectrum. As an example the linearization procedure developed by Karpowsky is generalized to incompletely specified multi-output Boolean functions. The linearization procedure is based on the computation of the Rademacher-Walsh spectrum with a following decomposition of the underlying function based on high value spectral coefficients. (2) The circuit realization of a logic function based on the repetitive application of (1). This synthesis method is exemplified by an multi-level synthesis algorithm for multiplexer gates. (3) The realization of a logic function as an AND-EXOR circuit based on a GF 2 (Galois Field (2)) spectrum. The GF 2 transforms exhibit the property that they describe a realization of the underlying function as a two-level AND-EXOR circuit. The Multiple-Valued Input Kronecker Reed-Muller (MIKRM) form is introduced as an application of GF 2 transforms. To overcome the drawbacks of spectral methods concerning the computational complexity and high memory requirements, this dissertation presents a computation method for spectra from disjoint representations. The introduced application of the disjoint cube representation and the Ordered Decision Diagrams for the computation of spectra proves to be an ideal concept. Thus, this dissertation presents general synthesis methods based on new spectral methods that overcome the deficiencies of current logic synthesis methods with respect to the synthesis for FPGAs as well as the computational complexity and memory requirements of spectral methods.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The current technologies employed for autonomous driving provide tremendous performance and results, but the technology itself is far from mature and relatively expensive. Some of the most commonly used components for autonomous driving include LiDAR, cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors. Sensors like such are usually high-priced and often require a tremendous amount of computational power in order to process the gathered data. Many car manufacturers consider cameras to be a low-cost alternative to some other costly sensors, but camera based sensors alone are prone to fatal perception errors. In many cases, adverse weather and night-time conditions hinder the performance of some vision based sensors. In order for a sensor to be a reliable source of data, the difference between actual data values and measured or perceived values should be as low as possible. Lowering the number of sensors used provides more economic freedom to invest in the reliability of the components used. This thesis provides an alternative approach to the current autonomous driving methodologies by utilizing acoustic signatures of moving objects. This approach makes use of a microphone array to collect and process acoustic signatures captured for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Rather than using numerous sensors to gather information about the surroundings that are beyond the reach of the user, this method investigates the benefits of considering the sound waves of different objects around the host vehicle for SLAM. The components used in this model are cost-efficient and generate data that is easy to process without requiring high processing power. The results prove that there are benefits in pursuing this approach in terms of cost efficiency and low computational power. The functionality of the model is demonstrated using MATLAB for data collection and testing.

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