Past Events

To view the past meetings, please click on the desired year: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005


2010 IEEE Ottawa ComSoc/BTS Presentations:


2009 IEEE Ottawa ComSoc/BTS Presentations:

The Particle Filtering Methodology in Signal Processing

Speaker: Prof. Petar M. Djuric, Department of ECE, Stony Brook University, NY, USA
Date & Time: Monday, November 23rd, 2009, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: University of Ottawa, School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE), Boardroom, 5th floor, 800 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Admission: Free Registration. Please contact in advance to reserve seats.
Refreshments: Will be served 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.

Abstract:
Particle filtering is a Monte Carlo – based methodology for sequential signal processing. It is designed for estimation of hidden processes that are dynamic and that can exhibit most severe nonlinearities. Also, it can be applied with equal ease to problems that involve any type of probability distributions. Therefore, it is not surprising that particle filtering has gained immense popularity. In this talk, first, the basics of particle filtering will be provided with description of its essential steps. Then some important topics of the theory will be addressed including Rao-Blackwellization, smoothing, and estimation of constant parameters. Finally, a presentation of most recent advances in the theory will be given. The talk will contain signal processing examples which will aid in gaining valuable insights about the methodology.

About the Speaker:
ViPetar M. Djuric (Fellow, IEEE) received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade, in 1981 and 1986, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island (1990). From 1981 to 1986, Prof. Djuric was a Research Associate with the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Vinca, Belgrade. Since 1990, he has been with Stony Brook University, where he is Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests are in the area of statistical signal processing, and his primary interests are in the theory of modeling, detection, estimation, and time series analysis and its application to a wide variety of disciplines including wireless communications and biomedicine. Prof. Djuric has served on numerous technical committees for the IEEE and has been invited to lecture at universities in the United States and overseas. His SPS activities include: Vice President-Finance (2006-09); Area Editor of Special Issues, IEEE Signal Processing Magazine (2002-05); Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing (1994-96 and 2003-05); Chair, SPS Signal Processing Theory and Methods Technical Committee (2005-06); and Treasurer, SPS Conference Board (2001-03). He is
an Editorial Board Member, IEEE Journal on Special Topics in Signal Processing, Elsevier Digital Signal Processing, Elsevier Signal Processing, and the EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking. Prof. Djuric is an IEEE Fellow, as well as a Member of the American Statistical Association.
and the International Society for Bayesian Analysis.

Contact to reserve seats: Balakumar Balasingam at balasing@site.uottawa.ca, or Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

Converged Services and New Generation of Networking

Speaker: Dr. Bhumip Khasnabish, IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer, Distinguished MTS of Verizon Network and Technology, Waltham, MA, USA

Date & Time: Wednesday, July 15th, 2009, Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:00 p.m.; Seminar: 06:30 p.m. – 07:30 p.m
PLACE: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., School of Advanced Technology, Building-T, Room T129
PARKING: at the Parking Lots 8 & 9. Please respect restricted areas. No fee after 5:00 p.m.
ADMISSION: Free. Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting:
Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org or Patrick Couture Cout0009@algonquincollege.com
More Info: www.ottawa.ieee.ca/comsoc
.

Abstract:
Commoditization of voice service has reached such a state that anyone with a server to provide registry and addressing (identification) functions can offer it to the Internet community using the voice over the Internet protocol (IP) or VoIP technology. Traditional client-server model has evolved to peer-to-peer model for near-real-time voice and multimedia (gaming, video, etc.) sessions. Voice mail service is being replaced by Instant-messaging (for presence-announced users), use of Star codes for advanced call/session feature activation is being replaced by Web based service-provisioning interface, and so on. Similar revolution is also happening in the areas of IP-based Television (IPTV) service development and distribution. These are only a glimpse of what is possible with the new/emerging converged services paradigm. However, many issues related to reliability/availability, security/privacy, mobility, service provisioning and continuity, regulation, operations, and quality of service and experience (QoS/QoE) still remain open.
In this discussion, we will explore the current activities of the traditional service providers to find implementable and operable solutions to these problems in the evolving Next Generation Networks (NGNs). The objective is to support VoIP, IPTV, and other multimedia services seamlessly over a variety of interconnected networks using the emerging IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) and service-oriented architecture/network (SOA/SON) based standards
.

About the Speaker:
Dr Khasnabish is a Distinguished MTS of Verizon Network and Technology, Waltham, MA, USA. He is the founding chair of the recently created ATIS Next Generation Carrier Interconnect (NG-CI) Task Force. Bhumip also founded MSF Services Working Group and led World’s first IMS-based IPTV Interop during GMI08. In Verizon, he focuses on NGN and Carrier Interconnection projects related to delivering enhanced multimedia services. He represents Verizon in the Standards activities of MSF and ATIS NG-CI. Previously Bhumip worked in Bell-Northern Research (BNR) Ltd. designing, implementing, and leading implementation of trunking and traffic management software modules for Passport® multi-service switch. Bhumip contributed to developing numerous patents and publications including the books entitled Implementing Voice over IP (Wiley, 2003, 2005) and Multimedia Communications Networks: Technologies and Services (Artech House, 1998). Bhumip is a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE, an adjunct faculty member of Brandeis University and Bentley University and Northeaster University; all in greater Boston, Massachusetts, area, and a member of the Board of Editors of the Journal of Network and Systems Management (JNSM).

Contact to reserve seats: Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

To download or view the presentation, please click on: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Microelectronics Reliability: It's evolution from Military to Commercial Requirements

Speaker: Dr. Ray Haythornthwaite
DATE: Thursday, May 21, 2009
TIME: Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:30 p.m.; Seminar: 07:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.
PLACE: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., School of Advanced Technology, T-Building, Room T230.
Parking: No fee after 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors’ Parking Lots 8 (green) & 9 (red). Please respect restricted areas. Map: to view the map, click here.
ADMISSION: All welcome - Free.
REGISTRATION: pre-registration Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting: Raed Abdullah
ORGANIZED BY: IEEE Reliability Ottawa Chapter, IEEE ComSoc/BTS Ottawa Chapter, IEEE LEOS Ottawa Chapter, IEEE AESS Ottawa Chapter, IEEE P/MTT Ottawa Chapter, IEEE CS Ottawa Chapter, and Algonquin College Student Branch.
CONTACT: details - Raed Abdullah, Patrick Couture, or almuhtadi@ieee.org.

Why Technical Writing Matters and What It Can Do for Your Career

Speaker: Kerry Surman, Algonquin College, Ottawa, Canada
DATE: Wednesday May 13, 2009
TIME: Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:30 p.m.; Seminar: 07:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.
PLACE: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., School of Advanced Technology, T-Building, Room T129.
Parking: No fee after 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors’ Parking Lots 8 (green) & 9 (red). Please respect restricted areas. Map: to view the map, click here.
ADMISSION: All welcome - Free.
REGISTRATION: pre-registration Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting: almuhtadi@ieee.org.
ORGANIZED BY: IEEE ComSoc/BTS, PES Ottawa Chapter, Reliability Chapter, IEEE Ottawa Section Educational Activities, Women in Engineering Affinity Group, and Algonquin College Student Branch.
CONTACT: details - Wahab Almuhtadi, Branislav Djokic, and Patrick Couture.

Advanced Technology Seminar on:

1. Compensation of Long Input Delays for Unstable Nonlinear and PDE Systems by Dr. Miroslav Krstic, Sorenson Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Control Systems and Dynamics at UC San Diego

2. 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Coherent Modems by Kim Roberts, Nortel, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

PLACE: Algonquin College, School of Advanced Technology, Building-T, Room T119, 1385 Woodroffe Ave. , Ottawa, Ontario

Program
Thursday March 19, 2009:
6:30 pm	Refreshments, Registration and Networking
6:55 pm	Opening Remarks, Claude Brule, Executive Dean, Faculty of Technology and Trades, Algonquin College
7:00 pm	“Compensation of Long Input Delays for Unstable Nonlinear and PDE Systems” IEEE CSS Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Miroslav Krstic, Sorenson Professor and Director of the Center for Control Systems and Dynamics, UC San Diego, USA
8:00 pm	“40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Coherent Modems” Guest Speaker: Kim Roberts, Nortel Networks, Canada
9:00 pm	Closing Wahab Almuhtadi

Compensation of Long Input Delays for Unstable Nonlinear and PDE Systems

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Miroslav Krstic, Sorenson Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Control Systems and Dynamics at UC San Diego

Date & Time: March 19, 2009. Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:30 p.m.; Seminar: 07:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.

Location: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., School of Advanced Technology, Building-T, Room T119

Parking: No fee after 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors’ Parking Lots 8 & 9. Please respect restricted areas.

Admission: Free. Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting: Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

More Info: Contact: Jurek Sasiadek jsas@ccs.carleton.ca, Wahab Almuhtadi almuhtadi@ieee.org, Raed Abdullah RaedAbdullah@ieee.org, Balakumar Balasingam balasing@site.uottawa.ca, Branislav Djokic branislav@ieee.org, Patrick Couture Cout0009@algonquincollege.com

Abstract:
Input delays create challenges in stabilization problems in many applications for unstable plants. I will present new designs for global stabilization of broad classes of nonlinear systems with long input delays. I will also introduce problems where the length of the input delay is highly uncertain, or even completely unknown, and present adaptive control designs for stabilization in the presence of this and other parametric uncertainties. In addition to input delays, I will discuss other infinite-dimensional input dynamics, such as those that combine convective and diffusive phenomena. Finally, I will show designs for PDEs with long input delays, such as unstable reaction-diffusion equations and anti-stable wave equations.

About the Speaker:
Miroslav Krstic is a Sorenson Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Control Systems and Dynamics at UC San Diego. He is a Fellow of IEEE and IFAC and a co-author of eight books: Nonlinear and Adaptive Control Design (1995), Stabilization of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems (1998), Flow Control by Feedback (2002), Real-Time Optimization by Extremum Seeking Control (2003), Control of Turbulent and Magnetohydrodynamic Channel Flows (2007), Boundary Control of PDEs (2008), Adaptive Control of Parabolic PDEs (2009), and Delay Compensation for Nonlinear and PDE Systems (2009).

40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Coherent Modems

Speaker: Kim Roberts, Nortel, 3500 Carling Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date & Time: March 19, 2009. Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:30 p.m.; Seminar: 08:00 p.m. – 09:00 p.m.

Location: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., School of Advanced Technology, Building-T, Room T119

Parking: No fee after 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors’ Parking Lots 8 & 9. Please respect restricted areas.

Admission: Free. Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting: Kexing Liu kexing.liu@ieee.org, or Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

Abstract:
Due to demand for increased optical transmission capacity, lower cost, and better spectral efficiency, 40 Gb/s optical systems are emerging and 100 Gb/s transmission is being discussed. With increased baud rate, system performance becomes very sensitive to chromatic dispersion, noise, and Polarization Mode Dispersion. It is desirable to have 40 and 100 Gb/s systems that operate as independently of optical physics as is possible. Traditionally, optical dispersion compensation modules were used within line amplifiers to compensate chromatic dispersion. Electrical Domain Compensation of Optical dispersion (eDCO) systems at 10 Gb/s, use digital signal processing to perform dispersion compensation in the transmitter such that all forms of optical compensation are obsolete. Systems at 40 and 100 Gb/s should be designed to be just as independent of dispersion. Telecommunications operators have been discovering significant amounts of Polarization Mode Dispersion in many of their installed fibers. Coherent detection provides several thousand kilometres of reach at 40 Gb/s, and allows linear digital filters in the receiver to combat dispersion, PDL and PMD A 100 Gb/s coherent product operates within a single 50 GHz WDM slot. The same coherent technology can be applied to 200, 400 and 1000 Gb/s modems, with future generations of CMOS.

About the Speaker:
Kim Roberts has innovated in the areas of optical transmission and high capacity packet connections since 1984. His creations are at the heart of much of Nortel’s optical transmission portfolio from the first OC-48 to the 40 Gb/s DSP-assisted coherent transceiver. He has been granted 85 US patents while at the Nortel labs in Edmonton, Harlow UK, and Ottawa. Kim holds a BASc and MASc. in EE from UBC and is a Nortel Fellow. Kim received the Outstanding Engineer medal in 2008 from IEEE Canada.

Adaptive Filtering Games for designing Reconfigurable Sensor Networks

Speaker: Prof. Vikram Krishnamurthy, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia
Date & Time: Tuesday, March 17th, 2009, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: University of Ottawa, School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE), Boardroom, 5th floor, 800 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Admission: Free Registration. Please contact in advance to reserve seats.
Refreshments: Will be served 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.

Abstract:
This seminar deals with decentralized sensor activation and management in large scale sensor networks using game theoretic methods. Using recent results in economics, we describe how the theory of global games gives a powerful paradigm for designing decentralized data-aware sensor activation algorithms in dense sensor networks. We show that the Nash equilibrium of the sensor network has a simple threshold structure and exhibits a remarkable phase transition as more data is collected. Next, we describe how decentralized adaptive filtering algorithms with regret matching can be deployed in sensor networks to guide network behavior to a satisfactory operating point. A major theme of the talk will be the focus on structural properties that result in numerically efficient algorithms rather than brute force computational methods. Another key paradigm of the talk is the idea of sensors learning from data and other sensors – this is different to the traditional paradigm of sensors learning from data alone. This seminar should be of interest to researchers and practitioners in signal processing, sensor design, control systems and economics/applied mathematics.

About the Speaker:
Vikram Krishnamurthy (F) currently holds the Canada Research Chair in Signal Processing at the University of British Columbia. Prior to 2002, he was a Chaired Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia where has served as Deputy Head of Department. He has made several contributions to the theory of bayesian estimation, stochastic sensor scheduling, and hidden markov models. Dr. Krishnamurthy’s current research interests include computational game theory, stochastic dynamical systems for modeling of biological ion channels and stochastic optimization and sensor scheduling. Much of his recent research deals with sensor-adaptive signal processing – that is, how networked sensors can dynamically adapt their behavior to optimize the statistical signal processing. Such problems use game theory and stochastic control together with statistical signal processing. Dr Krishnamurthy has published over 30 book chapters and 125 peer reviewed journal papers. He has served as Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions Signal Processing (2000-2005); IEEE Transactions Automatic Control; IEEE Transactions Aerospace & Electronic Systems; IEEE Transactions Circuit and Systems II; IEEE Transactions Nanobioscience; EURASIP Journal of Applied Signal Processing; and Systems & Control Letters. Dr. Krishnamurthy has received many awards for his research including the Canada Research Chair, and Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and a Member, IEEE Signal Processing Theory and Methods Technical Committee(2005-present).

Contact to reserve seats: Balakumar Balasingam at balasing@site.uottawa.ca, or Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

Watch this White Space: Leveraging the latest license-free spectrum

Speaker: Stephen Rayment, Chief Technology Officer, BelAir Networks, Ottawa, Canada
Date & Time: Monday, Monday 26 January 2009, 8:00 PM
Optional pub supper 6.30 pm -Social hour with refreshments from 7.30 pm - All welcome
Location: RA Centre, Riverside Drive, Courtside A Room, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Parking: free. Please park in East lot and enter by corner door, Map: http://www.racentre.com/e/about/map.htm
Admission: Free Registration. Pre registration requested for either pub supper or social hour, please contact Hugh Reekie 613-728-5343, max-com@allstream.net.
Refreshments: Will be served 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.
Organized by: The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Ottawa Network and IEEE Ottawa Joint Chapter of Communications Society & Broadcast Technology Society (ComSoc & BTS).

Abstract:
There is a sign in the US FCC's window which reads: "Broadband spectrum with excellent propagation characteristics suitable for both fixed and mobile applications - Free to a good home!" Free, yes, and potentially priceless, but this puppy will need some training. Stephen Rayment will delve into the promise and problems presented by this new "beachfront property" spectrum soon to be vacated - in the move from analog to digital TV. With requirements for GPS capabilities and third-party databases, spectrum sensing and microphone protection, adaptive power control and other technical specifications -- many covered under IEEE 802.22 -- it's not quite as simple as "give it away and they will build it" but it still presents an attractive opportunity for broadband innovation. Attend this meeting to find out what Microsoft KNOWS and why Dolly Parton was up in arms - you'll get the latest update on the spectrum that everyone's talking about and how and where you can expect to leverage it.

About the Speaker:
Stephen Rayment is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of BelAir Networks where he has been responsible for delivering its first products and now oversees product and technology strategy and evolution. He brings 30 years of product and technology experience in the telecommunications industry, including 20 years in the wireless arena. At Bell-Northern Research, he led the development of broadband wireless products, the launch of broadband multimedia satcom equipment and the design of the industry's first wireless PBX. Stephen is active in industry standardization, serving as an officer in IEEE 802.11 and is author of over a dozen patents. Stephen holds a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Queen's University, a Diploma in Administration from the University of Ottawa, is a graduate of the MIT Sloan School's Management of Technology program and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.


2008 IEEE Ottawa ComSoc/BTS Presentations:

Impacts of the Sun on Satellite Communications Systems

Speaker:         Dr. Andy D Kucar, andy@radio4u.com, www.radio4u.com, Ottawa, Canada
Time/Date:      Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location:         4124 Mackenzie Engineering Building, Carleton University

Abstract
For over 60 years, artificial man--made satellites have been providing diverse, highly available services, worldwide. The Sun is the lifeline of majority of satellite space segments, providing to satellites a thermal equilibrium, and, via solar cells, the electric energy. When the Sun becomes obscured by the Earth or by the Moon, a solar eclipse occurs. A satellite's lifeline becomes vitally reduced or cut and its thermal equilibrium disrupted. Different measures have to be taken to reduce and/or avoid potential degradations and/or disruptions of services. The worst case scenario, an unavailability of service, is also called an outage. Direct exposure to the Sun by a receiver's antenna main beam would cause an increase in the receiver's system noise temperature, which, consequentially, may cause a degradation of service and even an outage.

About the Speaker:
Dr Andy D Kucar P2EE4 has >30 years of industrial experience, worldwide, working on: top-of-the-line special projects and design of advanced terrestrial and satellite wireless radio equipment for oil/nafta/gas, aviation, transportation, TV, PTT, Baby Bells, dispatch and delivery, service industries, governments, etc. His affiliations include (d): Zagreb University, Radioindustrija Zagreb, Iskra/ITT, Ottawa University, BCE: Telesat, BCE: Bell Northern Research (now Nortel), KFUPM, and since 1990 4U Comm > www.radio4u.com, where he serves as a co-founder and senior manager.

More details, please click here: Seminar Announcement

Blind Modulation Classification: A Concept Whose Time Has Come

Speaker: Dr. Octavia A. Dobre, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
DATE:    Wednesday March 26, 2008.
TIME:     Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:45 p.m.; Seminar: 07:00 p.m. – 08:30 p.m.
PLACE: University of Ottawa, School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE), Boardroom, 5^th floor,
            800 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, For direction to SITE click here on the map.
Admission: Free. Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting:
                     Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

Abstract
In a world of rapid growth of commercial wireless services, accommodating the explosive demand for spectrum access, efficiency and reliability becomes increasingly technically challenging. A solution is provided by flexible cognitive and intelligent radios, which sense the environment and respond intelligently, without explicit pre-configuration to define their functions. Furthermore, implementation of advanced information services for military applications in a crowded electromagnetic spectrum is a challenging task for communication engineers. Friendly signals should be securely transmitted and received, whereas hostile signals must be located, identified and jammed. The spectrum of these signals may range from HF to millimeter frequency band and their format can vary from simple narrowband modulations to wideband schemes. Under such conditions, advanced techniques are required for real-time signal intelligence, vital for decisions involving electronic warfare operations. This has created the need for flexible cognitive and intelligent radio systems, which employ advanced signal processing techniques. A major task of such radios is signal identification, which can encompass signal detection, separation, parameter estimation, modulation classification, etc..

Modulation classification is an intermediate step between signal detection and demodulation. This is a challenging task, especially in non-cooperative environments, since in addition to complex channels; there are many unknown parameters, such as symbol timing, and carrier phase and frequency. This talk focuses on techniques to tackle the blind modulation classification problem. The state-of-the-art in this research area is first reviewed. Signal cyclostationarity-based techniques are then introduced. Digital and analog, single- and multi-carrier modulations are considered. Single- and multiple-receive antenna cyclostationarity-based classifiers are presented. The talk concludes by outlining new and challenging problems in the dynamic research field of blind signal identification.

About the Speaker:
Octavia A. Dobre received the Diploma of Engineer and Ph. D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Polytehnic University of Bucharest, Romania, in 1991 and 2000, respectively. In 2000 she was the recipient of a British Royal Society fellowship at Westminster University, UK. In 2001 she joined the Wireless Information Systems Engineering Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology, US, as a Fulbright fellow. Between 2002 and 2005 she was a Research Associate with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, US, where she collaborated with US Army CECOM. Currently she is an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University, Canada. She has published over 25 research papers, authored over 10 technical reports, served as a reviewer for several international journals and conferences in the area of signal processing and wireless communications and as a member of the Technical Program and Organizing Committees of a number of IEEE conferences, such as ICC 2005 and CCECE 2009, respectively. She has given several invited talks to academia and industry, including Illinois Institute of Technology and Drexel University, US, and CRC and DRDC, Canada. Her current research interests include blind modulation classification and parameter estimation techniques, cognitive radio, multi-antenna systems, multicarrier modulation techniques, cyclostationarity applications in communications and signal processing, and resource allocation in emerging wireless networks.

To print or to open the flyer of the seminar, please click here.

To download or view the presentation, please click here.


2007 IEEE Ottawa ComSoc/BTS Presentations:

Advances in Wireless Sensor Networks

Speaker: Dr. Hussein T. Mouftah, Canada Research Chair and Distinguished University Professor SITE, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
DATE: Wednesday February 27, 2008.
TIME: Refreshments, Registration and Networking: 06:45 p.m.; Seminar: 07:00 p.m. – 08:30 p.m.
PLACE: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., School of Advanced Technology, Building-T, Room T129.
PARKING: No fee after 5:00 p.m. at the Visitors’ Parking Lots 8 & 9. Please respect restricted areas.
Admission: Free. Registration required. To ensure a seat, please register by e-mail contacting:
Wahab Almuhtadi at almuhtadi@ieee.org.

Abstract
In recent years, advances in miniaturization; low-power circuit design; simple, low power, yet reasonably efficient wireless communication equipment; and improved small-scale energy supplies have combined with reduced manufacturing costs to make a new technological vision possible: Wireless sensor networks. A sensor network is composed of a large number of sensor nodes, which are densely deployed either inside the phenomenon or very close to it. The position of nodes need not be engineered or pre-determined. This allows random deployment in inaccessible terrains or disaster relief operation. We will present an overview of advances in wireless sensor networks technology and its future trends and its applications.

About the Speaker:
Hussein Mouftah joined the School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE) of the University of Ottawa in September 2002 as a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) Professor in Optical Networks, where he became a Distinguished University Professor in February 2006. He has been with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Queen's University (1979-2002), where he was prior to his departure a Full Professor and the Department Associate Head. He has three years of industrial experience mainly at Bell Northern Research of Ottawa, now Nortel Networks (1977-79). He has spent three sabbatical years also at Nortel Networks (1986-87, 1993-94, and 2000-01), always conducting research in the area of broadband packet switching networks, mobile wireless networks and quality of service over the optical Internet. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Communications Magazine (1995-97) and IEEE Communications Society Director of Magazines (1998-99), Chair of the Awards Committee (2002-2003) and Director of Education (2006-). He is a Distinguished Speaker of the IEEE Communications Society since 2000. Dr. Mouftah is the author or coauthor of five books, 24 book chapters and more than 800 technical papers and 9 patents in this area. He is the joint holder of the Best Paper Award for papers presented at the IEEE ICC'2005 Optical Networking Symposium and SPECTS’2002, and the Outstanding Paper Award for papers presented at the IEEE HPSR’2002 and the IEEE ISMVL’1985. Also he is the joint holder of a Honorable Mention for the Frederick W. Ellersick Price Paper Award for Best Paper in the IEEE Communications Magazine in 1993. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, such as the 2006 IEEE Canada McNaughton Medal, the 2006 Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) Julian Smith Medal, the 2004 IEEE Communications Society Edwin Howard Armstrong Achievement Award, the 2004 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Engineering, the 1989 Engineering Medal for Research and Development of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), and the Ontario Distinguished Researcher Award of the Ontario Innovation Trust. He is also the recipient of the IEEE Canada (Region 7) Outstanding Service Award (1995) and the 2006 CSIM Distinguished Service Award of the IEEE Communications Society. Dr. Mouftah is a Fellow of the IEEE (1990), Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2003) and Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (2005).

To print or to open the flyer of the seminar, please click here.

To download or view the presentation, please click here.

Micro-power Integrated Circuits and Systems

Speaker: Prof. Anantha Chandrakasan, Director of the MIT Microsystems Technology Laboratories, MA
Date: Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Place: 5050MC (Minto Center), Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa
Organized by: IEEE Ottawa SSCS Chapter and ComSoc/BTS Joint Chapter
Contact: Sreedhar Natarajan sn@ieee.org, Ram Achar achar@doe.carleton.ca, Wahab Almuhtadi almuhtadi@ieee.org

Abstract:
Energy efficient system design requires systematic optimization at all levels of the design abstraction ranging from devices and circuits to architectures and algorithms. The design of micro-power systems will enable operation using energy scavenging. A major opportunity to reduce the power dissipation of digital circuits is to scale the power supply voltage below the device thresholds (i.e., sub-threshold operation). The opportunities and challenges associated with sub-threshold design will be presented. This includes variation-aware design for logic and SRAM circuits, efficient DC-DC converters for ultra-low-voltage delivery, and algorithm structuring to support extreme parallelism. A number of integrated circuit examples that demonstrate sub-threshold operation will be presented. Other power management techniques such as ultra-dynamic-voltage scaling, fine-grained power gating and 3-D integration will be discussed. The use of highly digital architectures for wireless communication circuits can also significantly reduce system energy dissipation. Specific examples of power management will be presented, focusing on wireless sensor networks and impulse based ultra-wideband communications as drivers.

About the Speaker:
Anantha P. Chandrakasan received the B.S, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1989, 1990, and 1994 respectively. Since September 1994, he has been with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, where he is currently the Joseph F. and Nancy P. Keithley Professor of Electrical Engineering. He was a co-recipient of several awards including the 1993 IEEE Communications Society's Best Tutorial Paper Award, the IEEE Electron Devices Society's 1997 Paul Rappaport Award for the Best Paper in an EDS publication during 1997, the 1999 DAC Design Contest Award, the 2004 DAC/ISSCC Student Design Contest Award, and the ISSCC 2007 Beatrice Winner Award for Editorial Excellence. His research interests include low-power digital integrated circuit design, wireless microsensors, ultra-wideband radios, and emerging technologies. He is a co-author of Low Power Digital CMOS Design (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995), Digital Integrated Circuits (Pearson Prentice-Hall, 2003, 2nd edition), and Sub-threshold Design for Ultra-Low Power Systems (Springer 2006). He is also a co-editor of Low Power CMOS Design (IEEE Press, 1998), Design of High-Performance Microprocessor Circuits (IEEE Press, 2000), and Leakage in Nanometer CMOS Technologies (Springer, 2005). He has served as a technical program co-chair for the 1997 International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design (ISLPED), VLSI Design '98, and the 1998 IEEE Workshop on Signal Processing Systems. He was the Signal Processing Sub-committee Chair for ISSCC 1999-2001, the Program Vice-Chair for ISSCC 2002, the Program Chair for ISSCC 2003, and the Technology Directions Sub-committee Chair for ISSCC 2004-2007. He was an Associate Editor for the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits from 1998 to 2001. He served on SSCS AdCom from 2000 to 2007 and he was the meetings committee chair from 2004 to 2007. He is the Technology Directions Chair for ISSCC 2008. He is the Director of the MIT Microsystems Technology Laboratories.

Cooperative and Opportunistic Communications

Speaker: Behnaam Aazhang, distinguished lecturer
Date: July 30, 2007.
Contact: Burt Christian at b.christian@ieee.org


2006 IEEE Ottawa ComSoc/BTS Presentations:

Air Interfaces for Future-Generation Wireless Systems

Speaker: Dr. David Falconer
Date: April 18, 2006
Contact: zahir@ieee.org

VoIP PBXs for Small and Multi-Location Businesses

Speaker: Ron Reddick
Date: May 3, 2006
Contact: zahir@ieee.org

Introduction to Turbo Equalization

Speaker: Maryam Sabbaghian
Date: May 15, 2006
Contact: zahir@ieee.org

A Unified view of iterative ("Turbo") Receivers and Decoders

Speaker: Dr. Ezio Biglieri
Date: September 27, 2006
Contact: zahir@ieee.org, b.christian@ieee.org

1. A Brief Overview of the European Union WINNER Projects
2. WINNER Channel Model; Challenges in MIMO System Testing

Speakers: 1. Dr. David Falconer, 2. Pekka Kyosti and Yuha Ylitalo
Date: October 19, 2006
Contact: zahir@ieee.org, b.christian@ieee.org


2005 IEEE Ottawa ComSoc/BTS Presentations:

OWRA/IEEE COMSOC/NCIT/CRC Seminar Day

"Wireless Applications"
Program Chair: Bahram Zahir, zahir@ieee.org
Program Co-Chair: Maike Luiken Miller, maike.miller@ieee.org

DATE: Wednesday, June 22, 2005
LOCATION: CRC Auditorium, 3701 Carling Ave., Ottawa
(CRC is a secure site - All attendees must sign in at CRC Reception Centre)

Registration

The theme of our seminar, Wireless Applications, highlights the importance that developing applications plays in improving the services and consequently enhancing the economic situation of the communications industry. We look forward to providing a forum for discussion and debate on current status of the research on wireless applications. Building on past experience and drawing from the insights of our members, a primary goal of this seminar is to further educate ourselves as to where the industry is headed, or should go. The security aspects, trust and privacy will be of great importance in this seminar. Along these lines, we have several speakers, from industry, government organizations or academia, who come forward and share with us their most recent research and development ideas, or products.

For directions to CRC, please visit:
http://www.crc.ca/en/html/crc/home/info_crc/contact/visitor_info

Program

8:00 - 8:30	Registration and Coffee, Continental Breakfast
8:30 - 8:35	Welcome
8:35 - 9:10	Current and Future Handheld Applications, Jason Flick, Flick Software
9:10 - 9:55	Mobile Payment, Mohammad Tanabian, Hivva Technologies
9:55 - 10:15	Coffee Break
10:15 - 11:00	Wireless Security through RF Fingerprinting, Nur Serinken, CRC
11:00 - 11:45	Mobilizing Applications: A few PWGSC Case Studies, Marek Dziedzic, PWGSC
11:45 - 12:00	Q & A
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch Break
13:00 - 13:45	Collaborative Leadership for Market Driven Success, Stephen Fry, i2p.biz
13:45 - 14:30	Mobile Applications with Digital Broadcasting, Francois Lefebvre, CRC
14:30 - 14:50	Coffee Break
14:50 - 15:35	Developing Remote Communication Wireless Networks, Harry Silverstone, EION
15:35 - 16:10	Middleware for Mobile Applications, Thomas Kunz, Carleton University
16:10 - 16:55	Q & A
16:55 - 17:30	Panel

ABSTRACTS & BIOS

Current and Future Handheld Applications, Jason Flick, Flick Software
Abstract: This presentation will give an overview of both personal and enterprise handheld/wireless applications that are available and yet to be developed. It will also cover the breath of device types available and look into some of the future devices yet to be commercialized.
Bio: Jason Flick is the President and Chief Technology Officer of the mobile technology and solutions company, Flick Software. He has 15 years of technical leadership experience in mobile and handheld technology, and has held board positions at a number of technology companies and not-for-profit organizations. Jason enjoys exploring the latest advancements in mobility, and has focused on helping customers understand how to harness its’ usefulness to generate value in their businesses.

Mobile Payment as a Wireless Application, Mohammad Tanabian, MBA, Hivva Technologies
Abstract: Mobile payment as a wireless application has been on wish list of many wireless operators and wireless subscribers alike. Over the last decade, the idea of using a mobile phone as a payment medium, a data retrieval device and as a personal companion has seen hype of support and at times, wave of criticism. This presentation will give an overview of today’s electronic payment solutions and shows how mobile payment can fill a gap that they haven’t been able to address. It also introduces some of the available mobile payment solutions that are being commercially deployed today.
Bio: Mohammad Tanabian is the President and one of the co-founders of Hivva Technologies. He has a number of patents in m-commerce, mobile payment, point of sales collaboration and location based services. Mohammad holds a Bachelor of Engineering, A Master of Science from Carleton University and an MBA from Queen’s university.

Wireless Security through RF Fingerprinting, Nur Serinken, PhD., CRC
Abstract: The process to identify radio transmitters by examining their unique transient characteristics at the beginning of transmission is called "RF fingerprinting". The security of wireless networks can be enhanced by challenging a user to prove its identity if the fingerprint of a network device is unidentified or deemed to be a threat. In this talk, the identification problem of an individual node in a wireless network using its RF fingerprint will be addressed. A complete identification system, including data acquisition, transient detection, RF fingerprint extraction and classification subsystems, will be presented. The system performance results based on the real data acquired using the test bed at Communications Research Centre will be highlighted.
Bio:
Employment: 1981 to Present CRC- Ottawa, 1977-1981- Bell Northern Research -Ottawa, 1974-1977- General Electric Research Centre Wembley UK
Areas of interest and past research topics: Transmitter identification for security, Research into radio packet data transmission systems, for HF, VHF and UHF channels, Facsimile data transmission over radio, Secure identification
documents, secure facsimile systems, Large area flat LCD displays, Meteor burst communications.
Education: Ph.D E.E. 1974, M.Sc. E.E 1971, B.Sc. E.E 1969

Mobilizing Applications: A few PWGSC Case Studies, Marek Dziedzic, PWGSC
Abstract: Over the last few years a number of attempts was made to implement mobile applications within the PWGSC environment. This presentation discusses a few of these trials and explores the successes and challenges of these implementations.
Bio: Marek Dziedzic has extensive experience in Telecommunications and Information Technology. He held various senior technical and management positions with telecommunications and hi-tech companies. He has extensive experience in network architecture, management and operations of large-scale national and international telecommunications networks and in management and operations of IT/IM. Recently, he led the Connectivity Initiative in Real Property Branch of Public Works and Government Services Canada, where, as part of his responsibilities, he is working on wireless and mobility solutions and on Building Automation Systems. He holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and is a certified Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.).

Collaborative Leadership for Market Driven Success, Stephen Fry, i2p.biz
Abstract: This presentation is designed to give the researcher and business participant an appreciation for key enablers for business success, including any endeavour relating to the wireless market. Collaboration is not only a technology, but a powerful approach to achieving business success. Identifying a real market opportunity, developing a solution and a plan to execute, and gathering the resources to succeed are critical elements of successful ventures.
Bio:Steve Fry PEng has a strong IT and communications sales/engineering background with Nortel in Canada and the USA which he is now successfully applying to commercialization consulting projects. Steve’s quiet practical approach to technical sales and implementation processes help users develop confidence in execution of new product offerings.

Mobile Applications with Digital Broadcasting, Francois Lefebvre, CRC
Abstract: Digital broadcasting technologies like DAB, DMB and DVB-H are currently attracting a lot of attention in the mobile telecommunication industry. Projected networks will combine 3G one-to-one communication channels with one-to-many broadcast downlinks to deliver new services. On the end-user side, multi-radio handsets will provide flexible access, storage and rendering capabilities for multimedia-rich applications. This presentation will give an overview of these new systems and applications while focusing on convergence aspects.
Bio: Mr. Lefebvre has 15 years of R&D experience in multimedia systems and applications. He joined the Broadcast Technology branch at the Communications Research Centre in 1999 and is currently leading the Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting project. His most recent works focus on converging technologies built on DAB/DMB, Internet and personal wireless communications systems. He holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Laval University.

Developing Remote Communication Wireless Networks, Harry Silverstone, MBA, EION
Abstract: Deploying Wireless Network Infrastructure in Remote and Rural Communities has technical and business challenges. It entails understanding the local needs, their current abilities, along with developing an economically viable solution. This presentation will explore some of the concerns, considerations and how EION is addressing them.
Bio: Director Technology & Business Development Mr. Harry Silverstone has a solid track record in the Data Networking industry, and brings extensive experience from Nortel Networks, Bay Networks and Digital Equipment Corp. Mr. Silverstone has a thorough understanding of IP protocols and Broadband Access technologies. Through his combined technical, marketing and customer skills, he has designed and installed WAN and LAN networks worldwide, improved product quality, developed RFCs, and provided internal and external wired and wireless training. Mr. Silverstone holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of New Hampshire and an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Middleware for Mobile Applications, Thomas Kunz, Carleton University
Abstract: While traditional middleware technology has shown great suitability for fixed distributed systems, it does not offer much help for dealing with the dynamic aspects of mobile applications. Challenges from mobile computing applications indicate the need for defining a new architecture for distributed systems. The new architecture should be able to address many of the limitations exposed by emerging mobile applications. This talk sheds some light on the concept of middleware and its relations with mobile applications. It defines the major constraints posed by mobile computing systems and presents a detailed analysis of static and dynamic requirements to evaluate the traditional and modern middleware solutions, respectively. We also provide a general overview of traditional and modern middleware solutions, and discuss several implementations of both paradigms against these.