Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper, a fully integrated 30-dBm UHF band differential power amplifier (PA) with transformer-type combiner is designed and fabricated in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology. For the high power PA design, proposed transformer network and the number of power cells is fully analyzed and optimized to find inductors dimensions. In order to improve both the linear operating range and the power efficiency simultaneously, a parallel combination of the class AB and the class C amplifier in power cells was employed. The PA delivers an output power of 29 dBm and a power-added efficiency of 24% with a power gain of 20 dB, including the losses of the bond-wires  

In this brief, a transformer-type power combiner for a fully integrated high-power CMOS power amplifier (PA) is presented. The proposed power combiner is composed of a number of transformers that, unlike the ones in conventional approaches, have different sizes. This leads to higher efficiency and smaller chip area. After considering several power stage topologies, analysis and optimization of the transformer network (the power combiner) are presented. To demonstrate the advantages of the proposed architecture, a 900-MHz CMOS PA with the proposed power combiner was implemented with a 0.18-μm radio-frequency CMOS process. The amplifier achieved an efficiency value of 24% at the maximum output... 

This paper presents an RF Front-END for an 860-960thinspaceMHz passive RFID Reader. The direct conversion receiver architecture with the feedback structure in the RF front-end circuit is used to give good immunity against the large transmitter leakage and to suppress leakage. The system design considerations for receiver on NF and IIP3 have been discussed in detail. The RF Front-END contains a power amplifier (PA) in transmit chain and receive front-end with low-noise amplifier, up/down mixer, LP filter and variable-gain amplifier. In the transmitter, a differential PA with a new power combiner is designed and fabricated in a 0.18-μm technology. The chip area is 2.65 mm × 1.35 mm including... 

In this paper, a fully integrated 900-MHz CMOS differential power amplifier (PA) with new power combiner is designed and fabricated in a 0.18- um technology. For the high power CMOS PA design, new transformer network and the number of power stages is fully analyzed and optimized to find inductors dimensions. A parallel combination of the Class AB and the Class C amplifier or multiple gated common source transistors in power stages was used to improve both the linear operating range and the power efficiency simultaneously. The PA delivers an output power of 29 dBm and a power-added efficiency of 24% with a power gain of 20 dB, including the losses of the bond-wires. Copyright © 2009 Praise... 

The insect circulatory system contains an open hemocoel, in which the mechanism of hemolymph flow control is ambiguous. As a continuous fluidic structure, this cavity should exhibit pressure changes that propagate quickly. Narrow-waisted insects create sustained pressure differences across segments, but their constricted waist provides an evident mechanism for compartmentalization. Insects with no obvious constrictions between segments may be capable of functionally compartmentalizing the body, which could explain complex hemolymph flows. Here, we test the hypothesis of functional compartmentalization by measuring pressures in a beetle and recording abdominal movements. We found that the... 

In [1], [2] it is shown that the minimum broadcast rate of a linear index code over a finite field Fq is equal to an algebraic invariant of the underlying digraph, called minrankq. In [3], it is proved that for F2 and any positive integer k, minrankq(G) ≤ k if and only if there exists a homomorphism from the complement of the graph G to the complement of a particular undirected graph family called 'graph family {Gk}'. As observed in [2], by combining these two results one can relate the linear index coding problem of undirected graphs to the graph homomorphism problem. In [4], a direct connection between linear index coding problem and graph homomorphism problem is introduced. In contrast to... 

I present an in-depth review of the trends and the directions taken by researchers worldwide in optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) systems. I highlight those trends and features that I believe are essential to the successful introduction of various OCDMA techniques in communication systems and data networks in the near future. In particular I begin by giving a comprehensive review of the construction of optical orthogonal codes (OOCs). Specifically I discuss the recently developed algorithms that are based on matrix algebra, which simplify and enhance the efficiencies of algorithms in OOC generation. In communication systems studies I first focus on and discuss various OCDMA... 

In this paper, we analyze the worst-case delay performance of a network of fair queuing servers in case of multiple-paths between source-destination pairs. In order to develop worst-case delay analysis for the multiple-path scenario, two challenging events should be addressed: merging different sub-streams of a session as well as distributing a traffic stream among different paths (traffic partitioning). Specifically, we propose to merge incoming sub-streams of a session to a node according to a limited rate Fair Queuing (FQ) scheme. Although the merged stream is treated as a unity, this approach results in a guaranteed level of service to each sub-stream. In addition, an algorithm is... 

This paper presents an investigation of the effects of tool rake angle and nose radius on the surface quality of ultraprecision diamond-turned porous silicon. The results showed that as rake angle decreases, the high-stress field induced by the tool edge increases, causing microcracks to propagate extensively near the pore walls. As a result, the ductile-machined areas shrank under a negative tool rake angle. On the other hand, brittle fracture occurred around pores released cutting pressure significantly. These trends of rake angle effects are distinctly different from those in the cutting of non-porous silicon. Finite element simulation of stress in the cutting area agreed with the... 

This paper presents an investigation of the effects of tool rake angle and nose radius on the surface quality of ultraprecision diamond-turned porous silicon. The results showed that as rake angle decreases, the high-stress field induced by the tool edge increases, causing microcracks to propagate extensively near the pore walls. As a result, the ductile-machined areas shrank under a negative tool rake angle. On the other hand, brittle fracture occurred around pores released cutting pressure significantly. These trends of rake angle effects are distinctly different from those in the cutting of non-porous silicon. Finite element simulation of stress in the cutting area agreed with the... 

The mechanical properties of Mg-4wt.% Zn alloy single crystals along the [0001] orientation were measured through micropillar compression at 23 °C and 100 °C. Basal slip was dominant in the solution treated alloy, while pyramidal slip occurred in the precipitation hardened alloy. Pyramidal dislocations pass the precipitates by forming Orowan loops, leading to homogeneous deformation and to a strong hardening. The predictions of the yield stress based on the Orowan model were in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The presence of rod-shape precipitates perpendicular to the basal plane leads to a strong reduction in the plastic anisotropy of Mg. © 2020 Elsevier B.V  

The mechanical properties of Mg-4wt.% Zn alloy single crystals along the [0001] orientation were measured through micropillar compression at 23 °C and 100 °C. Basal slip was dominant in the solution treated alloy, while pyramidal slip occurred in the precipitation hardened alloy. Pyramidal dislocations pass the precipitates by forming Orowan loops, leading to homogeneous deformation and to a strong hardening. The predictions of the yield stress based on the Orowan model were in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The presence of rod-shape precipitates perpendicular to the basal plane leads to a strong reduction in the plastic anisotropy of Mg. © 2020 Elsevier B.V  

This research explored the influences of shielding gases on the appearance of weld beads and the microstructures and mechanical properties of thin-wall samples using conventional gas metal arc welding as the heat source by using 5356 aluminium alloy welding wire as the raw materials and nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar) as the shielding gases. The results showed that under the same parameters and after mono-layer single-bead welding was performed using N2 as the shielding gas, the bead height was higher, the bead width was narrower, and the penetration depth was shallower. The grain size of the thin-wall sample protected by N2 was 43.5–47.8 % smaller than that obtained under Ar protection.... 

In this paper, we describe a carbon dioxide mineralization process and its associated solid products. These solid products include amorphous silica, iron hydroxides and magnesium carbonates. These products were subjected to various characterization tests, and the results are published here. It was found that the iron hydroxides from this process can have different crystalline properties, and their formation depended very much on the pH of the reaction conditions. Different forms of magnesium carbonate were also obtained, and the type of carbonate precipitated was found to be dependent on the carbonation temperature. Hydromagnesite was obtained mainly at low temperatures, while dypingite was... 

Employing a proper pulse shaper in the conventional split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test helps to achieve dynamic equilibrium condition and to fulfill a constant strain rate condition in the test specimen. To this end, the parameters affecting the incident pulse shape, i.e., pulse shaper thickness, pulse shaper diameter, striker bar length and striker bar velocity are experimentally studied. Moreover, simulation results, validated by experimental data together with wave propagation analysis, are exploited to provide general guidelines to properly design a pulse shaper. It is recommended to use a relatively large diameter pulse shaper for testing work-hardening materials. Also, for... 

In this work the effects of backwash pressure, duration of acid and sodium hydroxide backwashing, sodium hydroxide concentration, and the duration of forward washing on performance of permeate flux recovery (PFR) were investigated. A two-level fractional factorial design (FFD) was used to design the experiments. The ability of back propagation neural network (BPNN) and radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) in predicting the performance of cleaning-in-place (CIP) of hydrophilic polyethersulfone (PES) membrane were investigated. It is found that BPNN has better ability in predicting the PFR performance than RBFNN. The best architecture of BPNN was a network consisting of 1 hidden layer... 

Distant, dusty and extremely luminous galaxies form a key component of the high redshift universe, tracing the period of intense cosmic activity that ultimately gave rise to the present-day universe. These highly luminous galaxies, first detected in the ground-based submillimeter region, are however optically very faint, which hampers identification of the optical counterpart and the measurement of a redshift. We are developing a new direct-detection submm spectrograph DESHIMA. By taking advantage of the rapidly advancing technology of superconducting microresonators, DESHIMA will revolutionize the appearance and capabilities of a submm spectrograph. There will no longer be large grating... 

Quasi-ultrafine (quasi-UF) particulate matter (PM0.25) and its components were measured in indoor and outdoor environments at four retirement communities in Los Angeles Basin, California, as part of the Cardiovascular Health and Air Pollution Study (CHAPS). The present paper focuses on the characterization of the sources, organic constituents and indoor and outdoor relationships of quasi-UF PM. The average indoor/outdoor ratios of most of the measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, and steranes were close to or slightly lower than 1, and the corresponding indoor-outdoor correlation coefficients (R) were always positive and, for the most part, moderately strong (median R... 

A simple and effective procedure is proposed for spectrophotometric determination of catecholamines; Dopamine (1), L-Dopa (2) and Adrenaline (3). It was found that the reduction of Ag+ to silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) by these catecholamines in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizing agent produced very intense surface plasmon resonance peak of Ag-NPs. The plasmon absorbance of the Ag-NPs allows the quantitative spectrophotometric detection of the catecholamines. The calibration curves derived from the changes in absorbance at λ = 440 nm were linear with concentration of Dopamine, Levodopa and Adrenaline in the range of 3.2×10-6- 2.0x10-5 M, 1.6x10-7 - 1.0×10-5 M,...