The IEEE Kingston Section Present

“On the probability of excess distortion in source (-channel) coding"

Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 11:00 am

Speaker: Dr. Yuval Kochman, MIT
Location: Room 225, Jeffery Hall, Queen's University 

Abstract:  The excess distortion probability is one of the measures for performance of finite-blocklength source and joint source-channel coding (JSCC) schemes. In this talk we present recent works that help shed light on the behavior of this probability. We note two main approaches for describing the excess-distortion probability, each of them useful in a different regime: the exponent approach and the dispersion approach. The exponent approach, developed by Marton and Csiszar in the 1970s, examines the rate of decay of the excess-distortion probability as a function of blocklength, when all other conditions are fixed. We present new results regarding the quadratic-Gaussian (QG) source exponent with side information, as well as the QG JSCC exponent. We then use these results to demonstrate that the current definition of the exponent is not sufficient. We define an exponent region, which enables to make the distinction between different blocklength constraints, and demonstrate the evaluation of this region. Dispersion has been recently (re)-introduced in the context of channel coding by Polianskyi et al. In the source context, one fixes the excess-distortion probability and examine the behavior of achievable rate-distortion pairs as a function of blocklength; in the JSCC context, the behavior of the distortion threshold is considered. We derive the dispersion expressions for both source and JSCC settings. Joint work with Amir Ingber (TAU), Da Wang and Gregory W. Wornell (MIT).

The Joint Communications and Computer Chapter of IEEE Kingston Section Present

“Communications for the Smart Grid"

As part of the Distinguished Lecture Tour (DLT)

Monday, Aprill 11, 2011, 6:00 pm

Speaker: Dr. Stephen F. Bush
(General Electrical Global Research, Niskayuna, NY)
Location: Room 205, Walter Light Hall, Queen's University 

Abstract:  Electric power grids around the world are rapidly evolving to make more extensive use of communication technology. New intelligent electronic devices are being developed and deployed in which communications is becoming a ubiquitous and natural part of power systems allowing new forms of collaborative behavior. An analogy is often made between the interconnection of personal computers many decades ago resulting in the rise of the Internet and what is happening within the power grid today. However, the power grid is a large and complex machine with many aspects; it comprises a very broad set of topics. This hour-long talk will begin with a review of power systems and focus upon emerging communications capabilities within the power grid including: metering and demand-response, distributed generation, fault detection isolation and restoration, and a brief overview of emerging standards. We will end with a discussion of more speculative innovations that may impact the smart grid further into the future.

IEEE Kingston Section Presents

Characterization of information channels for stochastic stabilization of unstable linear system.

Friday, Aprill 1, 2011, 2:30 pm

Speaker: Serdar Yuksel
(Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University)
Location: Mathematics/Statistics Colloquium, Jeffery Hall
 Queen's University 

Abstract: We consider stabilization of controlled linear systems over communication channels. Stable sources, and unstable but noise-free systems have been extensively studied in information theory and control theory literature since 1970s, with a renewed interest in the past decade. In this talk, we present (tight) necessary and sufficient conditions for stochastic stabilizability of unstable (non-stationary) linear systems driven by Gaussian noise, over discrete noisy channels. Stochastic stability notions include recurrence, asymptotic mean stationarity and sample path ergodicity, and the existence of finite second moments. We review some older and present new results on stochastic stabilization of Markov chains under state-dependent drift criteria, which are used for the constructive/achievability proofs. For asymptotic mean stationarity and sample path ergodicity, we show that it is necessary and sufficient that the capacity of a channel is (strictly) greater than the sum of the logarithms of the unstable pole magnitudes for noisy memoryless channels and a class of channels with memory. We provide sufficiency conditions on channel reliabilities for the existence of finite average second moments.

Bio: Dr. Serdar Yuksel received his B.Sc. degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey, in 2001 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003 and 2006, respectively. He was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Yale University for a year before joining Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada, as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. His research interests are in stochastic and decentralized control, information theory, and probability and its applications. Dr. Yuksel serves on the IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control) Committee on Stochastic Systems.

Queen s ECE and IEEE Kingston Section joint talk

“Delivering the Mobile Broadband Internet"

Thursday, March 31, 2011, 2:30 pm

Speaker: Stephen Rayment
Location: Queen’s WLH 205 

Abstract:  With mobile data traffic growing exponentially, it is clear that mobile carriers need to deploy radically new architectures to deliver the mobile broadband Internet. These architectures will include smaller cells and offload networks, but deployment and operational issues have historically reduced the cost-effectiveness of these architectures. An overview will be presented of how this business opportunity has unfolded. In addition, the enabling technologies and architectures will be described, showing how they overcome traditional barriers to small cell deployment. The market and technology will be related to the evolution and growth of BelAir Networks, one company that has been a successful leader in the space.

Queen s ECE and IEEE Kingston Section joint talk

“Influence of the Advances in Power Electronics, Electromagnetic Actuators and Control in Automotive Steering Systems"

Thursday, March 24, 2011, 2:30 pm

Speaker: Tomy Sebastian
Location: Queen’s WLH 302 

Abstract:  Developments in control and power electronics and in electric machines are fuelling the application of Electrical Drives in automobiles. This is especially true in automotive steering systems where conventional hydraulic based systems are being replaced by electromechanical systems. In addition to providing the basic function of directional control, these systems are focusing more on comfort, fuel economy, and active safety. This presentation will discuss the impact of the electrical motor drives on steering systems technologies.

Queen s ECE and IEEE Kingston Section joint talk

“Is Exascale the Last Frontier for Commodity Computing?"

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 2:30 pm

Speaker: Pavan Balaji
Location: Queen’s WLH 205 

Abstract:  For the past few decades commodity hardware and software drove the fastest supercomputers in the world owing to heavy economic support from the mass computing market. In the last few years, much of the effort by high-end computing researchers has shifted towards exascale architectures, which are considered to be the next leap in scientific and enterprise computing. While we race to build these massive machines, we are slowly coming to the realization that these systems are unlike anything we have seen before. For the first time, power consumption, more than anything else, is the driving factor in almost every technological decision for these systems. How we build the processors, the network, software libraries, operation systems, and applications, are all being driven by this one constraint. So much so that it is not clear whether the exascale architectures still follow what the general commodity market needs, or if we have diverged too far off. In this talk, I will discuss some of the significant challenges exascale computing systems bring both from a hardware and software perspective, and what our efforts are to tackle these challenges.

Queen s ECE and IEEE Kingston Section joint talk

“Microwave Photonics"
Queen’s, WLH205, Thursday, January 27, 2011, 2:30 pm

Speaker: Dr. Jianping Yao
Location: Queen’s WLH 302 

Abstract:  Microwave photonics is an interdisciplinary area that studies the interaction between microwave and optical waves for applications such as broadband wireless access networks, radar, satellite communications, instrumentation, and warfare systems. An overview of microwave photonics techniques will be presented, with an emphasis on system architectures for photonic generation and processing of microwave signals, photonic true-time delay beamforming for phased array antennas, radio-over-fiber and UWB-over-fiber systems, and photonic analog-to-digital conversion. Challenges in system implementation and new areas of research in microwave photonics are also discussed.

IEEE Kingston Section Annual General Meeting

RMC, S5119(New Swing Space), Tuesday, December 14, 2010,  14:00-1500hrs

It is that time again. The current executive has scheduled the AGM for the date above, and we look forward to the membership coming out to vote for next year’s executive and listen to the technical talk we have lined up for you. Please, review the attached file for more details about the technical talk.

If you have any nominations for the following positions on the IEEE Kingston Section executive, please forward them to Scott Yam

• Section Chair
• Vice Chair (Programmes)
• Vice Chair (Membership)
• Vice Chair (Awards)
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Webmaster

Muffins and refreshments will be provided for all IEEE members.

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