Telecommunication Engineering (TE)

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS)

Section head: prof. dr. ir. F. Leferink

Keywords: Optical fiber communications, mobile radio, information, communication, detection and signal theory, electromagnetic compatibility, microwave techniques

The research work of the TE group can be divided in three principal research areas.

Short-Range Radio (SRR)

The demand for ad-hoc networks, personal area networks (PANs) and Body Area Networks is growing exponentially. A PAN is defined as a computer network used for communication among computer devices close to one person. Somewhat closer to a person a Body Area Network (BAN) can be defined. A BAN consists of a set of mobile and compact intercommunicating sensors, wearable, implanted, or even ingestible into the human body, monitoring vital body parameters and movements. These wireless technologies for short range access have been embedded in millions of commercial devices already. Examples of available standards are Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Wibree (recently renamed as Ultra-low-power Bluetooth). The main issues in this research area (which we call Short-Range Radio - SRR) are low power consumption, robustness to interference, integration on chip (including the antenna) and overall costs.

RF Photonics (RFP)

This area has been a major research activity of the group in past years and continues to have prominence. Items receiving attention have been and are: architecture of Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks, switched optical add/drop multiplexing, Optical Code Division Multiple Access (OCDMA), Coherence Multiplexing, simulation of (optical) communication systems, opto-electronic integrated circuits (OEIC's) as well as components, optical processing and beamforming networks, and dynamic range enhancement of optical RF interconnects and processors. The research has applications in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Local Area (LAN) and Personal Area Networks (PAN), distribution of CATV signals, and (phased-array) radar systems.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

Main subjects for research of the EMC group were and are: modeling of radiated emission and immunity of circuits at IC and PCB level, signal integrity of high speed electronic circuits, development of test techniques for high intensity electromagnetic fields, and the combination of two or more numerical methods for optimum prediction of EMI. An upcoming area of interest is intentional EMI, or EM terrorism. Test techniques for developing repeatable, reproducible and accurate high field strengths will gain increased interest.

Key persons: Prof.dr.ir. F. Leferink, Prof.dr. W.G. Scanlon, dr.ir. M.J. Bentum, dr.ir. A. Meijerink, dr. ir. C.G.H. Roeloffzen, ir. F.J.K Buesink

Projects:

European funding:

·	HIRF Synthetic Environment

·	SANDRA - Seamless Aeronautical Networking through integration of Data links, Radios, and Antennas

National funding:

·	Memphis (SmartMix / SenterNovem)

·	Orbiting Low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy (STW funding 2009)

·	Space Compatible IO Actuation for Switching and Beam Forming (IO-Spact, , NSO PEP national funding EZ)

·	Multi-dimensional Optimization of Power Electronics (IOP)

·	Protection of Electronics against Lightning (Thales)

·	Embedded Metamaterials for Performance boost, EMC and lower Costs (IOP)

·	Power Quality and EMC (IOP)

University funding (through CTIT/NIRICT):

·	Dependable Systems and Networks

·	Real Time Enterprise Sensor networks for Transport and Logistics compatible with Energy Harvesting

·	Physical Layer in Body Area Networks (CEDICT funding)

·	Localization in Smart Dust Sensor Networks (CTIT funding)

Publications TE-group

PresentationsTE-group, December 2011

·	Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

·	Microwave Photonics Research (MPR)

·	Short-range Radio (SRR)

·	Telecommunication Engineering (TE)