Strategisen suorituskykymittariston implementoinnin haasteet – tapaustutkimus

Tutkimuksen aiheena on strateginen suorituskykymittaristo ja sen implementointi. Muuttuva liiketoimintaympäristö on tuonut mukanaan sen, että yritysten tulee jatkuvasti päivittää toimintastrategiaansa sekä niihin liittyviä suorituskykymittareita. Strategiset suorituskykymittaristot ovat johdon työväline konkretisoida organisaation toiminnan tavoitteet ja menestystekijät alaspäin erilaisiksi mittareiksi. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tunnistaa haasteita, joita suorituskykymittariston käyttöönottoon liittyy ja keinoja, joilla näihin voidaan varautua. Tutkielma on laadullinen tutkimus, jossa tehtiin yrityshaastatteluja. Tutkimuksessa muodostettiin olemassa olevia teorioita mukaillen vaihemalli siitä, mitä osa-alueita strategisen suorituskykymittariston implementointiprojektiin liittyy. Tätä mallia käytettiin pohjana työn empiirisessä analyysissä. Empiirisessä analyysissä käyttöönoton onnistumisen edellytyksiksi havaittiin johdon aktiivinen rooli sekä riittävän viestinnän toteutus. Lisäksi onnistumiseen vaikuttavina tekijöinä korostuivat niin projektinhallinnalliset asiat, esimerkiksi aktiivinen projektipäällikkö, projektin organisointi ja toimintasuunnitelma jatkolle, kuin niiden henkilöiden rooli, jotka projektissa ovat mukana. Tutkimuksen lopputulokset myötäilevät aiempia tutkimuksia siinä, että viestinnällä ja kommunikaatiolla on hyvin merkittävä rooli mittariston käyttöönoton onnistumisessa.

Development of Measurement Systems in Scientific Research: Case Study

In recent years, technological advancements in microelectronics and sensor technologies have revolutionized the field of electrical engineering. New manufacturing techniques have enabled a higher level of integration that has combined sensors and electronics into compact and inexpensive systems. Previously, the challenge in measurements was to understand the operation of the electronics and sensors, but this has now changed. Nowadays, the challenge in measurement instrumentation lies in mastering the whole system, not just the electronics. To address this issue, this doctoral dissertation studies whether it would be beneficial to consider a measurement system as a whole from the physical phenomena to the digital recording device, where each piece of the measurement system affects the system performance, rather than as a system consisting of small independent parts such as a sensor or an amplifier that could be designed separately. The objective of this doctoral dissertation is to describe in depth the development of the measurement system taking into account the challenges caused by the electrical and mechanical requirements and the measurement environment. The work is done as an empirical case study in two example applications that are both intended for scientific studies. The cases are a light sensitive biological sensor used in imaging and a gas electron multiplier detector for particle physics. The study showed that in these two cases there were a number of different parts of the measurement system that interacted with each other. Without considering these interactions, the reliability of the measurement may be compromised, which may lead to wrong conclusions about the measurement. For this reason it is beneficial to conceptualize the measurement system as a whole from the physical phenomena to the digital recording device where each piece of the measurement system affects the system performance. The results work as examples of how a measurement system can be successfully constructed to support a study of sensors and electronics.

Rakennukseen integroitavien aurinkosähköjärjestelmien soveltuvuus pohjoismaisiin olosuhteisiin

Tässä työssä esitellään aurinkosähköjärjestelmien rakenne, toiminta ja niille sopivia käyttökohteita. Työn tavoitteena on arvioida teknillistaloudellisesti rakennukseen integroitujen aurinkosähköjärjestelmien soveltuvuutta Pohjoismaisiin olosuhteisiin. Tekninen arviointi toteutetaan pohjautuen kirjallisuuteen, käytännön analysointiin ja simuloituihin tuloksiin. Taloudellinen arviointi sisältää lisäksi myös laskennallista analysointia. Aurinkosähköjärjestelmän toiminnan arvioinnissa päädyttiin hyödyntämään aiemmin aurinkosähköjärjestelmien suorituskyvystä julkaistuja materiaaleja. Käytössä olevien resurssien rajallisuus ei mahdollistanut tarpeeksi laajamittaisten suorituskykytestien toteuttamista. Teknisen arvioinnin perusteella saatiin selville merkittävimpien tekijöiden vaikutus rakennukseen integroitujen aurinkosähköjärjestelmien toimintaan. Teknillistaloudellisen arvioinnin perusteella julkisivumateriaalien korvaaminen aurinkopaneeleilla tulee harkita tapauskohtaisesti. Työ sisältää myös katsauksen olemassa olevista teknisistä ratkaisuista.

Design and Development of re configurable compact cross patch antenna for switchable polarization

Antennas are necessary and vital components of communication and radar systems, but sometimes their inability to adjust to new operating scenarios can limit system performance. Reconfigurable antennas can adjust with changing system requirements or environmental conditions and provide additional levels of functionality that may result in wider instantaneous frequency bandwidths, more extensive scan volumes, and radiation patterns with more desirable side lobe distributions. Their agility and diversity created new horizons for different types of applications especially in cognitive radio, Multiple Input Multiple Output Systems, satellites and many other applications. Reconfigurable antennas satisfy the requirements for increased functionality, such as direction finding, beam steering, radar, control and command, within a confined volume. The intelligence associated with the reconfigurable antennas revolved around switching mechanisms utilized. In the present work, we have investigated frequency reconfigurable polarization diversity antennas using two methods: 1. By using low-loss, high-isolation switches such as PIN diode, the antenna can be structurally reconfigured to maintain the elements near their resonant dimensions for different frequency bands and/or polarization. 2. Secondly, the incorporation of variable capacitors or varactors, to overcome many problems faced in using switches and their biasing. The performances of these designs have been studied using standard simulation tools used in industry/academia and they have been experimentally verified. Antenna design guidelines are also deduced by accounting the resonances. One of the major contributions of the thesis lies in the analysis of the designed antennas using FDTD based numerical computation to validate their performance.

Queueing Models with Vacations and Working Vacations

The thesis entitled “Queueing Models with Vacations and Working Vacations" consists of seven chapters including the introductory chapter. In chapters 2 to 7 we analyze different queueing models highlighting the role played by vacations and working vacations. The duration of vacation is exponentially distributed in all these models and multiple vacation policy is followed.In chapter 2 we discuss an M/M/2 queueing system with heterogeneous servers, one of which is always available while the other goes on vacation in the absence of customers waiting for service. Conditional stochastic decomposition of queue length is derived. An illustrative example is provided to study the effect of the input parameters on the system performance measures. Chapter 3 considers a similar setup as chapter 2. The model is analyzed in essentially the same way as in chapter 2 and a numerical example is provided to bring out the qualitative nature of the model. The MAP is a tractable class of point process which is in general nonrenewal. In spite of its versatility it is highly tractable as well. Phase type distributions are ideally suited for applying matrix analytic methods. In all the remaining chapters we assume the arrival process to be MAP and service process to be phase type. In chapter 4 we consider a MAP/PH/1 queue with working vacations. At a departure epoch, the server finding the system empty, takes a vacation. A customer arriving during a vacation will be served but at a lower rate.Chapter 5 discusses a MAP/PH/1 retrial queueing system with working vacations.In chapter 6 the setup of the model is similar to that of chapter 5. The signicant dierence in this model is that there is a nite buer for arrivals.Chapter 7 considers an MMAP(2)/PH/1 queueing model with a nite retrial group

RRNS-convolutional encoded concatenated code for OFDM based wireless communication

The modern telecommunication industry demands higher capacity networks with high data rate. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is a promising technique for high data rate wireless communications at reasonable complexity in wireless channels. OFDM has been adopted for many types of wireless systems like wireless local area networks such as IEEE 802.11a, and digital audio/video broadcasting (DAB/DVB). The proposed research focuses on a concatenated coding scheme that improve the performance of OFDM based wireless communications. It uses a Redundant Residue Number System (RRNS) code as the outer code and a convolutional code as the inner code. The bit error rate (BER) performances of the proposed system under different channel conditions are investigated. These include the effect of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), multipath delay spread, peak power clipping and frame start synchronization error. The simulation results show that the proposed RRNS-Convolutional concatenated coding (RCCC) scheme provides significant improvement in the system performance by exploiting the inherent properties of RRNS.

A novel Sigma–Delta based parallel analogue-to-residue converter

Animportant step in the residue number system(RNS) based signal processing is the conversion of signal into residue domain. Many implementations of this conversion have been proposed for various goals, and one of the implementations is by a direct conversion from an analogue input. A novel approach for analogue-to-residue conversion is proposed in this research using the most popular Sigma–Delta analogue-to-digital converter (SD-ADC). In this approach, the front end is the same as in traditional SD-ADC that uses Sigma–Delta (SD) modulator with appropriate dynamic range, but the filtering is doneby a filter implemented usingRNSarithmetic. Hence, the natural output of the filter is an RNS representation of the input signal. The resolution, conversion speed, hardware complexity and cost of implementation of the proposed SD based analogue-to-residue converter are compared with the existing analogue-to-residue converters based on Nyquist rate ADCs

Pathogens occuring in the winter pea-maize-winter wheat rotation, their host specificity and the potential of compost in suppressing foot and root disease of peas

The overall aim of the work presented was to evaluate soil health management with a specific focus on soil borne diseases of peas. For that purpose field experiments were carried out from 2009 until 2013 to assess crop performance and pathogen occurrence in the rotation winter pea-maize-winter wheat and if the application of composts can improve system performance. The winter peas were left untreated or inoculated with Phoma medicaginis, in the presence or absence of yard waste compost at rate of 5 t dry matter ha-1. A second application of compost was made to the winter wheat. Fusarium ssp. were isolated and identified from the roots of all three crops and the Ascochyta complex pathogens on peas. Bioassays were conducted under controlled conditions to assess susceptibility of two peas to Fusarium avenaceum, F. solani, P. medicaginis and Didymella pinodes and of nine plant species to F. avenaceum. Also, effects of compost applications and temperature on pea diseases were assessed. Application of composts overall stabilized crop performance but it did not lead to significant yield increases nor did it affect pathogen composition and occurrence. Phoma medicaginis was dominating the pathogen complex on peas. F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. proliferatum, Microdochium nivale, F. crookwellense, F. sambucinum, F. oxysporum, F. avenaceum and F. equiseti were frequently isolated species from maize and winter wheat with no obvious influence of the pre-crop on the Fusarium species composition. The spring pea Santana was considerably more susceptible to the pathogens tested than the winter pea EFB33 in both sterile sand and non-sterilized field soil. F. avenaceum was the most aggressive pathogen, followed by P. medicaginis, D. pinodes, and F. solani. Aggressiveness of all pathogens was greatly reduced in non-sterile field soil. F. avenaceum caused severe symptoms on roots of all nine plant species tested. Especially susceptible were Trifolium repens, T. subterraneum, Brassica juncea and Sinapis alba in addition to peas. Reduction of growing temperatures from 19/16°C day/night to 16/12°C and 13/10°C did not affect the efficacy of compost. It reduced plant growth and slightly increased disease on EFB33 whereas the highest disease severity on Santana was observed at the highest temperature, 19/16°C. Application of 20% v/v of compost reduced disease on peas due to all four pathogens depending on pea variety, pathogen and growing media used. Suppression was also achieved with lower application rate of 3.5% v/v. Tests with γ sterilized compost suggest that the suppression of disease caused by Fusarium spp. is biological in origin, whereas chemical and physical properties of compost are playing an additional role in the suppression of disease caused by D. pinodes and P. medicaginis.

Parallel Coupled Micro-Macro Actuators

This thesis presents a new actuator system consisting of a micro-actuator and a macro-actuator coupled in parallel via a compliant transmission. The system is called the Parallel Coupled Micro-Macro Actuator, or PaCMMA. In this system, the micro-actuator is capable of high bandwidth force control due to its low mass and direct-drive connection to the output shaft. The compliant transmission of the macro-actuator reduces the impedance (stiffness) at the output shaft and increases the dynamic range of force. Performance improvement over single actuator systems was expected in force control, impedance control, force distortion and reduction of transient impact forces. A set of quantitative measures is proposed and the actuator system is evaluated against them: Force Control Bandwidth, Position Bandwidth, Dynamic Range, Impact Force, Impedance ("Backdriveability'"), Force Distortion and Force Performance Space. Several theoretical performance limits are derived from the saturation limits of the system. A control law is proposed and control system performance is compared to the theoretical limits. A prototype testbed was built using permanenent magnet motors and an experimental comparison was performed between this actuator concept and two single actuator systems. The following performance was observed: Force bandwidth of 56Hz, Torque Dynamic Range of 800:1, Peak Torque of 1040mNm, Minimum Torque of 1.3mNm. Peak Impact Force was reduced by an order of magnitude. Distortion at small amplitudes was reduced substantially. Backdriven impedance was reduced by 2-3 orders of magnitude. This actuator system shows promise for manipulator design as well as psychophysical tests of human performance.

Resiliencia organizacional y capital psicológico

Desde la noción universal sobre la empresa como un sistema de interacción con un entorno determinado para alcanzar un objetivo, de manera planificada y en función de satisfacer las demandas de un mercado mediante la actividad económica, su viabilidad, sostenibilidad y crecimiento dependerán, por supuesto, de una serie de estrategias adecuadas no solo para tales fines, sino también para enfrentar diversidad de agentes endógenos y exógenos que puedan afectar el normal desempeño de su gestión. Estamos hablando de la importancia de la resiliencia organizacional y del Capital Psicológico. En un escenario tan impredecible como el de la economía mundial, donde la constante son los cambios en su comportamiento —unos propios de su dinámica e interdependencia, naturales de fenómenos como la globalización, y otros derivados de eventos disruptivos— hoy más que nunca es necesario implementar el modelo de la empresa resiliente, que es aquella entidad capaz de adaptarse y recuperarse frente a una perturbación. Al mismo tiempo, más allá de su tamaño, naturaleza u objeto social, es indispensable reconocer básicamente que toda organización está constituida por personas, lo cual implica la trascendencia que para su funcionamiento tiene el factor humano-dependiente, y por lo tanto se crea la necesidad de promover el Capital Psicológico y la resiliencia a nivel de las organizaciones a través de una cultura empresarial.

Improved and optimal dual circular 32-QAM for MB-OFDM

Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) and Dual Carrier Modulation (DCM) are currently used as the modulation schemes for Multiband Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM) in the ECMA-368 defined Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio platform. ECMA-368 has been chosen as the physical radio platform for many systems including Wireless USB (W-USB), Bluetooth 3.0 and Wireless HDMI; hence ECMA-368 is an important issue to consumer electronics and the users’ experience of these products. To enable the transport of high-rate USB, ECMA-368 offers up to 480 Mb/s instantaneous bit rate to the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, but depending on radio channel conditions dropped packets unfortunately result in a lower throughput. This paper presents improvement on a high data rate modulation scheme that fits within the configuration of the current standard increasing system throughput by achieving 600 Mb/s (reliable to 3.2 meters) thus maintaining the high rate USB throughput even with a moderate level of dropped packets. The modulation system is termed improved and optimal Dual Circular 32-QAM (DC 32-QAM). The system performance for improved and optimal DC 32-QAM modulation is presented and compared with previous DC 32- QAM, 16-QAM and DCM.

Bode's maximum available feedback and phase margin

'Maximum Available Feedback' is Bode's term for the highest possible loop gain over a given bandwidth, with specified stability margins, in a single loop feedback system. His work using asymptotic analysis allowed Bode to develop a methodology for achieving this. However, the actual system performance differs from that specified, due to the use of asymptotic approximations, and the author[2] has described how, for instance, the actual phase margin is often much lower than required when the bandwidth is high, and proposed novel modifications to the asymptotes to address the issue. This paper gives some new analysis of such systems, showing that the method also contravenes Bode's definition of phase margin, and shows how the author's modifications can be used for different amounts of bandwidth.

Improved channel estimation in TDMA by reproduction with applications in GSM/GPRS under co-channel interference

Finding an estimate of the channel impulse response (CIR) by correlating a received known (training) sequence with the sent training sequence is commonplace. Where required, it is also common to truncate the longer correlation to a sub-set of correlation coefficients by finding the set of N sequential correlation coefficients with the maximum power. This paper presents a new approach to selecting the optimal set of N CIR coefficients from the correlation rather than relying on power. The algorithm reconstructs a set of predicted symbols using the training sequence and various sub-sets of the correlation to find the sub-set that results in the minimum mean squared error between the actual received symbols and the reconstructed symbols. The application of the algorithm is presented in the context of the TDMA based GSM/GPRS system to demonstrate an improvement in the system performance with the new algorithm and the results are presented in the paper. However, the application lends itself to any training sequence based communication system often found within wireless consumer electronic device(1).

Dual carrier modulation demapping methods and performances for wireless USB

Dual Carrier Modulation (DCM) was chosen as the higher data rate modulation scheme for MB-OFDM (Multiband Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) in the UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) radio platform ECMA-368. ECMA-368 has been chosen as the physical implementation for high data rate Wireless USB (W-USB) and Bluetooth 3.0. In this paper, different demapping methods for the DCM demapper are presented, being Soft Bit, Maximum Likely (ML) Soft Bit and Log Likelihood Ratio (LLR). Frequency diversity and Channel State Information (CSI) are further techniques to enhance demapping methods. The system performance for those DCM demapping methods simulated in realistic multi-path environments are provided and compared.