Sergio Rapuano

An automatic digital modulation classifier for measurement on telecommunication networks

This paper presents a method for the automatic classification of digital modulations without a priori knowledge of the signal parameters. This method can recognize classical single- carrier modulations such as M-ary phase-shift keying, M-ary frequency-shift keying, M-ary amplitude-shift keying, and M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation, as well as orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing modulations such as discrete mul- titone that is used for asymmetric digital subscriber line and very high speed digital subscriber line standards and for power-line carrier transmissions. After identification of the modulation type, the method automatically estimates some parameters characterizing the modulation. To evaluate the method performance, several simulations have been carried out in different operating conditions that should be particularly critical by varying the values of signal- to-noise ratio and the main parameters of each identifiable modulation. To assess the advantages, comparison with other classification methods has been given. To validate the assumption that is made, experimental tests have been performed.

One-Way Delay Measurement: State of the Art

Accurate OWD (one-way delay) measurement has a relevant role in network performance estimation and consequently in application design. In order to estimate OWD accurately it is essential to consider some parameters which influence the measure, such as operating system (OS) loaded on the PC, the treads, and the PC synchronization in the network. Due to the large research interest towards synchronization aspects, the authors have chosen to consider this parameter first. For this reason, three synchronization methods based on NTP (network time protocol), on GPS (global positioning system), and on IEEE 1588 standard are described and compared showing the advantages and disadvantages of the analyzed methods

A state of the art on ADC error compensation methods

Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are critical components of signal processing systems. ADC errors can compromise the overall accuracy and the effectiveness of the whole system. This leads the researchers to direct an increasing attention to error correction topics. In the paper, some ADC error compensation methods are briefly introduced according to a classification criterion based on the main research trends.

A Learning Management System Including Laboratory Experiments on Measurement Instrumentation

The paper presents a comprehensive approach to distance learning for electric and electronic measurement courses. The proposed approach integrates a traditional learning management system (LMS) with the remote access to real instrumentation located in different laboratories, without requiring specific software components on the client side. The advantages of using LMSs in distance learning of measurement related topics are summarized focusing on the LMS characteristics. Then, the remote laboratory system relying on virtual instruments (Vis) developed in LabVIEW and its integration with a commercial LMS is described referring to a project financed by the Italian Ministry of Education and University

ADC parameters and characteristics

Today, most of the signal processing performed in electronic systems is digital, and the performance of the analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) present at the borders of the digital domain become very important. The most recent applications in telecommunication, measurement, and consumer electronics call for ever-increasing ADC resolution and speed. The uncertainty of ADC performance strongly affects overall system accuracy. Both manufacturers and system integrators are intensely concerned with ADC performance.

A state of the art on ADC modelling

Abstract The state of the art of the research on modelling of analog-to-digital converter (ADC)-based measuring devices is surveyed. Main topics of modelling are reviewed according to the fields of prevailing scientific interest in metrological research such as quantization models, error models, and correction-aimed models. In these fields, recent developments are analysed with the aim of focusing both the contemporary situation and the imminent trends.

An introduction to FFT and time domain windows

This paper includes a brief tutorial on digital spectrum analysis and FFT-related issues to form spectral estimates on digitized signals. Some review of the DFT has been presented, and some discussion on the computational advantages of the FFT calculation has also been presented. Finally, the main considerations on windowing and window characteristics have been briefly discussed.

Remote Didactic Laboratory “G. Savastano,” The Italian Experience for E-Learning at the Technical Universities in the Field of Electrical and Electronic Measurements: Overview on Didactic Experiments

The Remote Didactic Laboratory Laboratorio Didattico Remoto - LA.DI.RE. ldquoG. Savastanordquo is the e-learning measurement laboratory supported by the Italian Ministry of Education and University. It involves about 20 Italian universities and provides students of electric and electronic measurement courses with access to remote measurement laboratories delivering different didactic activities related to measurement experiments. In order to demonstrate the versatility for didactic use, the overview of some experiments is given. The didactic experiments summarized in this paper concern measurement characterization of instruments and communication systems, measurement devices for remote laboratories, basic electrical measurements, magnetic measurements, electromagnetic-interference measurements, and signal processing for measurement applications.

Remote Didactic Laboratory “G. Savastano,” The Italian Experience for E-Learning at the Technical Universities in the Field of Electrical and Electronic Measurement: Architecture and Optimization of the Communication Performance Based on Thin Client Technology

The Remote Didactic Laboratory Laboratorio Didattico Remoto -LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano” is an e-learning measurement laboratory supported by the Italian Ministry of Education and University. It provides the students of electric and electronic measurement courses with access to remote measurement laboratories, delivering different didactic activities related to measurement experiments. The core of the software architecture is the integration of the Learning Management System (LMS) with the remotely accessible measurement laboratories through web services and thin client paradigm, providing a new approach to remote experiments on measurement instrumentation. The overview of this paper is on the different solutions concerning the thin client technology, and the solution implemented is described. This solution takes into account the delivered services to students and teachers and permits optimization of the communication performances. The results of the comparison among the performances of different implementations of the thin client paradigm highlight the advantages of the adopted solution. As a consequence, the description of the thin client protocol implemented, together with the presentation of the LMS and delivered services given in a previous paper, makes an exhaustive analysis of the software architecture of the LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano.”

ADC testing - Part 7 in a series of tutorials in Instrumentation and Measurements

A nalog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are tested for several reasons. Manufacturers need to measure the ADC’s performance so that they can guarantee to their users what performance to expect of the ADC (usually via a specification sheet) and to assure the quality of the ADCs they produce. Users need to measure the ADC’s performance relative to its specification as well as for its intended use. Both static and dynamic performance parameters may be assessed. It is important for those measuring ADC performance to communicate their findings clearly. To that end, the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society’s Waveform Generation, Measurement, and Analysis Committee (TC-10) developed the IEEE Standard for Terminology and Test Methods for Analog-to-Digital Converters (IEEE Std 1241-2000) [1]. This standard presents a wide range of terms and test methods to serve as a common technical language among users and manufacturers. Since it would be prohibitively expensive for both manufacturers and users to perform all possible tests, only parameters critical to an application are generally assessed. Table 1 suggests parameters critical to common applications. These suggestions are intended to provide a starting point from which to select a set of parameters for a particular application. The following sections address general test setups, common test methods, and the assessment of uncertainty in measurements. The same tests are also performed on digital waveform recorders, but the test setups are different and are described in IEEE Std 1057-1994. See “ADC Versus Waveform Recorder—What’s the Difference?” for more information.