Open Access
A new study to suppress mutual-coupling between waveguide slot array antennas based on metasurface bulkhead for MIMO systems
(IEEE, 2018) Alibakhshikenari, Mohammad; Virdee, Bal S.; Khalily, Mohsen; See, Chan H.; Abd-Alhameed, Raed; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Limiti, Ernesto; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
In this paper, a new method is proposed to reduce mutual coupling between waveguide slot array (WSA) antennas based on metasurface technology. This is achieved by placing a metasurface bulkhead between the two WSA antennas. Performance of the dual-waveguide antenna structure is shown to substantially enhance when compared against an identical reference WSA antenna with no metasurface. WSA antennas used in the study has dimensions 40×20×5mm 3 and operates over 1.7-3.66 GHz, which corresponds to a fractional bandwidth of 73.13%. The average isolation of the reference WSA antennas is -20 dB; however, with a metasurface bulkhead the isolation is shown to increase to -36.5 dB. In addition, the bandwidth extends by ~10%, and the gain improves by 14.66%. The proposed method is should find application in MIMO systems where high isolation between neighbouring radiation elements is required to improve the antenna characteristics, and mimimise array phase errors, which is necessary to enhance the system performance.
Open Access
IVAN: Intelligent van for the distribution of pharmaceutical drugs
(MDPI, 2012) Moreno, Asier; Angulo Martínez, Ignacio; Perallos Ruiz, Asier; Landaluce, Hugo; García Zuazola, Ignacio Julio; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza
This paper describes a telematic system based on an intelligent van which is capable of tracing pharmaceutical drugs over delivery routes from a warehouse to pharmacies, without altering carriers' daily conventional tasks. The intelligent van understands its environment, taking into account its location, the assets and the predefined delivery route; with the capability of reporting incidences to carriers in case of failure according to the established distribution plan. It is a non-intrusive solution which represents a successful experience of using smart environments and an optimized Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) embedded system in a viable way to resolve a real industrial need in the pharmaceutical industry. The combination of deterministic modeling of the indoor vehicle, the implementation of an ad-hoc radiating element and an agile software platform within an overall system architecture leads to a competitive, flexible and scalable solution.
Open Access
Analysis and description of HOLTIN service provision for AECG monitoring in complex indoor environments
(MDPI, 2013) Led Ramos, Santiago; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Martínez de Espronceda Cámara, Miguel; Serrano Arriezu, Luis Javier; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
In this work, a novel ambulatory ECG monitoring device developed in-house called HOLTIN is analyzed when operating in complex indoor scenarios. The HOLTIN system is described, from the technological platform level to its functional model. In addition, by using in-house 3D ray launching simulation code, the wireless channel behavior, which enables ubiquitous operation, is performed. The effect of human body presence is taken into account by a novel simplified model embedded within the 3D Ray Launching code. Simulation as well as measurement results are presented, showing good agreement. These results may aid in the adequate deployment of this novel device to automate conventional medical processes, increasing the coverage radius and optimizing energy consumption.
Open Access
Análisis del comportamiento de esquemas de modulación adaptativos en LTE
(2009) Torres Landívar, Víctor; Esparza Alfaro, Fermín; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
In this work, the behaviour of several modulation schemes used in 3GPP R8 or Long Term Evolution (LTE) Systems is analyzed. In order to increase the capacity of future mobile networks, high order modulation schemes like 64-QAM are envisaged, which have more stringent Signal-to-Noise restrictions. System simulation results for various modulation schemes regarding Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) values and constellation behaviour are obtained, showing dependence of quality degradation with bit rate, interference ratio and relative constellation position of the symbols. These results, related to constellation behaviour, can aid in the future design of high data rate mobility systems based on LTE.
Open Access
Wideband printed monopole antenna for application in wireless communication systems
(IET, 2018) Alibakhshikenari, Mohammad; Virdee, Bal S.; See, Chan H.; Abd-Alhameed, Raed; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
Empirical results of an electrically small printed monopole antenna are described with a fractional bandwidth of 185% (115 MHz to 2.90 GHz) for return-loss better than 10 dB, peak gain and radiation efficiency at 1.45 GHz of 2.35 dBi and 78.8%, respectively. The antenna geometry can be approximated to a back-to-back triangular shaped patch structure that is excited through a common feed-line with a meander-line T-shape divider. The truncated ground-plane includes a central stub located underneath the feed-line. The impedance bandwidth of the antenna is enhanced with the inclusion of meander-line slots in the patch and four double split-ring resonators on the underside of the radiating patches. The antenna radiates approximately omni-directionally to provide coverage over a large part of very high frequency, the whole of ultrahigh frequency, the whole of L-band and some parts of S-band. The antenna has dimensions of 48.32 × 43.72 × 0.8 mm 3 , which is corresponding to the electrical size of 0.235 λ 0 × 0.211 λ 0 × 0.003 λ 0 , where λ 0 is the free-space wavelength at 1.45 GHz. The proposed low-profile low-cost antenna is suitable for application in wideband wireless communications systems.
Open Access
Zigbee radio channel analysis in a complex vehicular environment [wireless corner]
(IEEE, 2014) Rajo-Iglesias, Eva; López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Garate Fernández, Uxue; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
In this paper, the influence of topology and morphology of a particularly complex scenario for the deployment of ZigBee wireless sensor networks is analyzed. This complex scenario is a car. The existence of loss mechanisms such as material absorption (seats, dashboard, etc.) and strong multipath components due to the great number of obstacles and the metallic environment (bodywork), as well as the growing demand for wireless systems within a vehicle emphasizes the importance of the configuration of the heterogeneous intra-car wireless systems. Measurement results as well as simulation results by means of an in-house 3D ray launching algorithm illustrate the strong influence of this complex scenario in the overall performance of the intra-car wireless sensor network. Results also show that ZigBee is a viable technology for successfully deploying intra-car wireless sensor networks.
Open Access
An easy to deploy street light control system based on wireless communication and LED technology
(MDPI, 2013) Elejoste Larrucea, Pilar; Angulo Martínez, Ignacio; Perallos Ruiz, Asier; Chertudi Ozamiz, Aitor; García Zuazola, Ignacio Julio; Moreno, Asier; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza
This paper presents an intelligent streetlight management system based on LED lamps, designed to facilitate its deployment in existing facilities. The proposed approach, which is based on wireless communication technologies, will minimize the cost of investment of traditional wired systems, which always need civil engineering for burying of cable underground and consequently are more expensive than if the connection of the different nodes is made over the air. The deployed solution will be aware of their surrounding’s environmental conditions, a fact that will be approached for the system intelligence in order to learn, and later, apply dynamic rules. The knowledge of real time illumination needs, in terms of instant use of the street in which it is installed, will also feed our system, with the objective of providing tangible solutions to reduce energy consumption according to the contextual needs, an exact calculation of energy consumption and reliable mechanisms for preventive maintenance of facilities.
Open Access
Band-pass filter-like antenna validation in an ultra-wideband in-car wireless channel
(Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), 2015) García Zuazola, Ignacio Julio; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Sharma, Ashwani; Landaluce, Hugo; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a very attractive technology for innovative in-car wireless communications requiring high data rates. A designated antenna, which presents a reflection coefficient (S11) matched band comparable to the band-pass filter (BPF) normally required at the transducers, plays a positive contribution in this in-car application and was validated for the scenario. The inherited BPF-like response of the antenna relaxes the specification of the front-end BPF components of the transceivers. The in-car propagation channel was modelled and used to validate the BPF-like antenna. For the modelling, a comprehensive set of well-defined measurements (using a standard antenna) were used to set-up the in-car channel simulator and simulated results were used to validate the BPF-like antenna. In addition, the performance of the UWB radio system is studied and the probability of errors over the communication channel compared using the standard and the BPF-like antenna by predictions.
Open Access
Performance analysis of IEEE 802.15.4 compliant wireless devices for heterogeneous indoor home automation environments
(Hindawi, 2012) Nazábal Urriza, Juan Antonio; López Iturri, Peio; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Fernández Valdivielso, Carlos; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The influence of topology as well as morphology of complex indoor scenarios in the deployment of wireless sensor networks and wireless systems applied to home and building automation systems is analyzed. The existence of loss mechanisms such as material absorption (walls, furniture, etc.) and strong multipath components as well as the increase in the number of wireless sensors within indoor scenarios increases the relevance in the configuration of the heterogeneous wireless systems. Simulation results by means of empirical-based models are compared with an in-house 3D ray launching code as well as measurement results from wireless sensor networks illustrate the strong influence of the indoor scenario in the overall performance. The use of adequate radioplanning strategies lead to optimal wireless network deployments in terms of capacity, quality of service, and reduced power consumption.
Open Access
Deterministic propagation modeling for intelligent vehicle communication in smart cities
(MDPI, 2018) Granda, Fausto; López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Medrano Fernández, Pablo; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua, 0011-1411-2017-000020 BOL BOLETUS
Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are envisaged to be a critical building block of Smart Cities and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) where applications for pollution, congestion reduction, vehicle mobility improvement, accident prevention and safer roads are some of the VANETs expected benefits towards Intelligent Vehicle Communications. Although there is a significant research effort in Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication radio channel characterization, the use of a deterministic approach as a complement of theoretical and empirical models is required to understand more accurately the propagation phenomena in urban environments. In this work, a deterministic computational tool based on an in-house 3D Ray-Launching algorithm is used to represent and analyze large-scale and small-scale urban radio propagation phenomena, including vehicle movement effects on each of the multipath components. In addition, network parameters such as throughput, packet loss and jitter, have been obtained by means of a set of experimental measurements for different V2I and V2V links. Results show the impact of factors such as distance, frequency, location of antenna transmitters (TX), obstacles and vehicle speed. These results are useful for radio-planning Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) designers and deployment of urban Road Side Units (RSUs).