Workshop

EERT 2010 - 1st International Workshop on Energy Efficient and Reconfigurable Transceivers

collocated with MOBIMEDIA - 6th International Mobile Multimedia Communications Conference

6th - 8th September 2010 - Lisbon, Portugal

CALL FOR PAPERS:

The beyond3G vision envisages higher data rates and multi standard radio interfaces to provide all users with a continuous seamless connection at any place, anytime and on any system. Therefore the large number of multimode devices coupled with the surge in power requirements for future emerging handsets raises significant challenges in terms of reducing the energy consumptions, and reducing the amount of electromagnetic radiations in order to minimize the global impact of CO2 emissions.
In fact, current state-of-the-art of multi-standard devices have high power requirements for maintaining two or more radio interfaces. It is envisaged that a dramatic increase in the energy consumptions of 4G devices will make active cooling a necessity. Indeed, from the manufacturer’s perspective, the issue of power consumptions is becoming a key concern since there is a continuously growing gap between the energy required by emerging radio systems and what can be actually achieved by: i) the evolutions on battery technology; ii) the progresses on scaling and circuit design; iii) the design of novel system level architectures; and iv) the development of novel thermal and cooling techniques.
Therefore, one of the biggest challenges for the future wireless systems is the need to limit the energy consumptions of battery-powered devices, with the aim to prolong their operational time and avoid active cooling. Without new approaches for energy saving, there is a significant threat that the 4G mobile users will be searching for power outlets rather than for network access, thus being restricted to stay in a single position and losing their mobile capabilities.
In typical mobile terminals for cellular systems up to half of the power consumptions come from communications-related functions, such as baseband processing, RF, and connectivity functions. Therefore any reduction in the power consumptions of all these functionalities will have a substantial impact on the battery lifetime.
The EERT workshop will bring scientists, engineers, manufacturers and service providers to exchange and share their experiences, new ideas, and research results surrounding all aspects on energy-efficient transceivers for handset and BSs of the future.
Prospective authors are invited to submit original and unpublished technical papers on the following research topics, but not limited to:

  • Design techniques for energy efficient transceiver power amplifiers
  • Energy efficient processing (DSP)
  • Energy efficient reconfigurable radios and software defined radios
  • MEMS and applications
  • MMICs and RFICs
  • Device and IC technology for power amplifiers
  • System requirements and transceiver architectures
  • Matching techniques
  • Device and system level modeling
  • Active Antennas
  • Integrated circuits and antennas
  • Linearization techniques
  • System Integration (SoC, Mixed-Signal)
  • Device Characterization/Modeling
  • Systems Architectures and Applications

 

Organizing Committee
Publications


Technical Program Committee Chairs

Prof. Raed Abd-Alhameed
[University of Bradford, UK]
Dr. Bashir Gwandu
[Executive Commissioner (Technical Services) of NCC (Nigerian Communications Commission)]
Abubakar S. Hussaini


Peer reviewed papers appear in LNICST published by Springer, (on Springer database)

https://www.springer.com

Please visit the Submission page for detailed submission requirements and procedures.
Technical Program Committee

Prof S. Shepherd [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr N.T. Ali [Khalifa University, UAE]
Dr N. J. McEwan [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr S. M. R. Jones [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr M. Usman [Hai'l University, KSA]
Dr M. A. Mangoud [Bahrain Univ., Bahrain]
Dr H. S. Rajamani [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr D. T. W. Liang [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr C. H. See [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr D. Zhou [Pace plc, UK]
Mr M. B. Child [Univ. of Bradford, UK]
Dr E. A. Elkhazmi [The Higher Institute Of Electronics, Bani Walid, Libya]

 

Invited Speaker: Prof. Yang Hao
Title: On-body radio channel modelling for power efficient RF transceiver design

 

Abstract

Body-centric wireless communications refer to human-self and human-to-human networking with the use of wearable and implantable wireless sensors. It is a subject area combining wireless body-area networks (WBANs), Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs). Body-centric wireless communications has abundant applications in personal healthcare, smart home, personal entertainment and identification systems, space exploration and military.
The human body is an uninviting and often hostile environment for a wireless signal. In general, antennas suffer from reduced efficiency due to electromagnetic absorption in human tissues, radiation pattern fragmentation and variations in impedance at the feed.
Typical geometries of wireless wearable and implantable devices, vary from millimetric to- centimetric sizes and, hence, compact yet efficient antennas need to be fully characterized and integrated with the RF transceiver. As well as size there are other significant challenges in the design of antennas for body-centric wireless communications.
The objective of this talk is to highlight current and emerging research in antennas and propagation for body-centric wireless communications, as well as applications of this technology.

Bio

Professor Yang Hao received the Ph.D. degree from the Centre for Communications Research (CCR) at the University of Bristol, U.K. in 1998. From 1998 to 2000, he was a postdoc research fellow at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Birmingham, U.K. In May 2000, he joined the Antenna Engineering Group, Queen Mary College, University of London, London, U.K. first as a lecturer and was promoted to Reader in 2005 and to Professor in 2007.
Professor Hao is active in a number of areas including computational electromagnetics, electromagnetic bandgap structures and microwave metamaterials, antennas and radio propagation for body centric wireless networks, active antennas for millimetre/submillimetre applications and photonic integrated antennas. His work on metamaterials and body-centric wireless communications has been reported in the Engineer(I), the Engineer (II), Electronics Times, Microwave Engineering and the IET E&T Magazine. He is a co-editor of book 'Anntennas and Radio Propagation for Body-Centric Wireless Communications' (Artech House, 2006). He has published over 200 technical papers (book chapters, Journal papers and conference publications) and served as an invited (ISAP07) and keynote speaker (ANTEM05), a conference organiser and session chair at many international conferences.
Professor Hao is an associate editor for IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, an associate editor and a guest editor for IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and also a member of Technical Advisory Panel of IET Antennas and Propagation Professional Network. He is elected as a Fellow of ERA Foundation in 2007.

 
Invited Speaker: Dr. Bashir Gwandu
Title: A comprehensive Quality of Service (QoS) Performance bench-marks for GSM and CDMA networks for all interfaces

 

Abstract

Digital Mobile Telecommunication Services (DMTS) have been adopted universally, and developing countries that hitherto have no established Wireline Telephony have embraced DMTS as a means of achieving rapid coverage so as to improve their very low level of Teledensity. However, countries that rely heavily on wireless telephony are faced with new set of challenges in respect of poor Quality of Service (QoS) delivery. A number of these countries have been relying on bench-marks or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that have been drawn with Wireline services in mind and for which reason such KPIs have not been adequate as Standard levels for Wireless services even where they are met. In this paper a comprehensive set of KPIs are proposed for Wireless Voice and Data services that are applicable to GSM as well as CDMA systems. The proposed set of KPIs are to be measured using one of or a combination of three methods; Drive test, Monitoring from Network Operating Centres (NOCs), and Consumer Survey. The KPIs cover Billing-related, Wireless, Data as well as Network-related Technical Parameters. A list of succinct definitions of the KPIs is also provided as a guide. Monitoring Data on TCH and SDCCH Congestion level collected from the NOCs of some operators indicate that deviation from the bench-marks being proposed in this paper can lead to poor Quality Services and often complete lack of access. Relevance of each of the KPIs to consumer experience is highlighted.

Bio

Dr Bashir Gwandu is the Executive Commissioner (Technical Services) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and was the Acting Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC from June to July 2010. After receiving his BSc in Physics from Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and an MSc in Applied Physics from the University of Jos, in addition to a brief Engineering service at the Tactical Air-command, Makurdi and lecturing at Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, he proceeded to the United Kingdom where he attended MSc Courses in Power Electronics and Drives and MSc courses in Communications Engineering; he further obtained an MPhil degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, all from the University of Birmingham. He returned briefly to Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto to lecture before going back to the UK to study for a PhD in Electronic/Electrical Engineering at Aston University and subsequently undertook an MBA Finance course at the Birmingham Business School.
Dr Gwandu was the Head, Physics Department of Usman Danfodiyo University until December 1991. He has designed many devices that are used in the telecom industry some of which have been patented in Europe and United States. He is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, and a full member of the 3 main International Electrical Engineering Institutes, i.e. The IEE UK, IEEE USA, and IEICE Japan and has published over 36 Electronic and Electrical Engineering Research papers in world-class Electrical Engineering journals and conference proceedings. Since 2002, Dr Bashir Gwandu has been involved in research work on Regulation of Utilities. He was also one of the engineers invited as part of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) team to outline policy issues for the UK Energy White-paper. He was also a regular contributor to IEE/Ofcom consultation on spectrum management issues.
Dr Gwandu is currently the Executive Commissioner for Engineering and Technical Standards at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); supervising Spectrum planning and management, Quality of Service Monitoring and Network Optimization, Equipment Type-approval, Numbering Plan, Allocation and Management. He was the Executive Commissioner in Charge of Licensing and Consumer Affairs of the NCC until Jun 07.
Dr Gwandu was part of the Launch Committee of the recently Launched Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComsat-1), has represented Nigeria in many Forums on Telecoms Regulations, and was until recently on the Board of the NigComSat Ltd, and the Board of Digital Bridge Institute. Dr Gwandu having skills in diverse areas of Engineering, Accounting, Finance, the Art of Regulation and Administration; the key competences required of a utility regulator, is currently on the Board of NCC.