Fwd: ComSoc V1 #69

[prinaldo@mindspring.com]

Gang. Some IEEE events. Paul

ComSoc <ComSoc@skyhelp.net> wrote:
> ComSoc                         Wed, 23 Jan 2002           Volume 1 : Number 69
In this issue:

        Nova Comsoc meeting 29 Jan --Turbo codes
>>>
---IEEE ComSoc Mail List Information--

Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 18:42:38 -0500
From: don@skyhelp.net (Don Rickerson)
To: comsoc @skyhelp.net
Subject: Nova Comsoc meeting 29 Jan --Turbo codes
Message-ID: 

Happy New Year, from the IEEE Northern Virginia Communications Society!
The 2002 program will have a great mix of interesting speakers and timely 
topics.  I do hope you can attend a few of our meetings.  If you're a memb=
er, 
make sure to renew your membership!

If you're not a member, you may wish to consider joining the IEEE.  It had=
 an 
exceptionally good set of monthly journals and magazines that will keep yo=
u 
current on new technologies and trends in the ever-growing field of 
communications, modulation, coding, and networking.  Come to at least one 
of  our monthly meetings to see if this group is right for you.  We'll hav=
e 
information you need if you want to join IEEE.

If you have interests more along the lines of computers, digital signal 
processing, microwaves and RF, robotics, information theory,
electromagnetic compatibility, geosciences and remote sensing, medicine 
and biology, lasers and electro-optics, magnetics, nuclear and plasma 
sciences, reliability, or vehicular technology and transportation systems,=
 
there are also sister chapters that focus on these areas.

This year's program will cover such topics as:
o Turbo codes
o GPS modernization
o Battlefield communications
o Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
o IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN
o Sept. 11 rescue efforts by the Wireless
o Emerging cellular telephone standards
o Carrier class packet switching networks for voice and data
o New topics in optical fiber communications
o BLAST
o Satellite communications

The year starts off with two great programs.  January's speaker topic is on turbo codes, and February's is on the GPS modernization program.  As always, we'll start off with a light dinner at 6:00 p.m. and get started beetween 
6:45 and 7:00 p.m.  The program will be over by 8:00 p.m.  I hope you can make it.  Please email me or call me at (703) 883-3223 so we know how much dinner to get.

Speaker:	Mr. Eugene Estinto, L-3 Coleman Research Corp, Chantilly, 
VA
Title:	Turbo Codes: Performance Benefits and Implementation Issues
Date:	Tuesday, January 29, 2002, 6:00 p.m. Location:	TRW building, 
12011 Sunset Hills Rd., Reston, VA Abstract:	This talk will provide an 
introduction to turbo codes and discuss some of their pros and cons.  The 
discussion will center on ongoing work at L-3 Coleman Research, and will 
include performance results from recent over-the-air tests using Turbo Cod=
es. 
 The talk will begin with an overview of turbo codes and describe basic 
encoding and decoding structures. It will then address the AWGN channel 
BER performance of turbo codes and describe some of the key design 
parameters involved.  This will be followed by a discussion of the benefit=
s of 
adopting turbo codes in a communication link and some of the 
implementation issues that must be considered.  The talk will conclude wit=
h 
a brief overview of available turbo code components, processing benchmarks=
 
for software based decoding, and expected uses of the technology in the 
near future. Speaker Bio:	Eugene Estinto is a Principal Engineer at L-
3 Coleman Research Corp. (CRC),  where he has recently lead
a study effort to validate the performance of turbo encoded signals over a=
ctual 
RF links. CRC is a US Government contractor located in Chantilly, Virginia=
. 
Eugene was born in Naples, Italy and speaks Italian fluently.  He received=
 his 
BSEE from the University of Maryland and his MSEE from the George 
Washington Univeristy.  Prior to working with CRC, he worked at Stanford 
Telecommunications and TRW, both in the Northern Virginia area.  Eugene is=
 
also the founder of Eritek, Inc., a company devoted to the simulation and 
modeling of communications systems, and he is a co-author of the 
VisSim/Comm simulation tool. His interests include comm system 
simulation and modeling, software radio techniques, forward error control
coding, and bandwidth efficient modulation techniques.  He has a wife and 
one  child and lives in Leesburg, VA.  eugene@eritek.com Matt Valenti, 
professor, WVU, mvalenti@wvu.edu Steve Wilson, professor, Uva, 
sgwilson@uva.edu

Title:	GPS Modernization
Speakers:	Mr. Kanwaljit Sandhoo, The MITRE Corporation
Date:	Tuesday, February 26, 2002, 6:00 p.m.
Location:	MITRE Corp, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA. *
Abstract:	As an integral part of the Global Navigation Satellite System 
(GNSS), GPS provides positioning services to both military and civil GPS 
user communities.  The civil GPS user community uses the Standard 
Positioning Service (SPS) broadcast at L1 (1575.42 MHz) frequencyMost of 
the  military GPS user community uses the SPS for signal acquisition and 
the  Precision Positioning Service (PPS) broadcast at L1 and L2 (1227.6 
MHz) frequencies for tracking.  The low powered GPS signals supporting 
these services are presently very vulnerable to intentional and unintentio=
nal 
interference as well as atmospheric disturbances. Since a number of 
applications require better performance than offered by the current servic=
es, 
an extensive effort has been undertaken by the United States  to augment 
and modernize GPS.  In January 1999, as a part of the GPS modernization 
effort, the United States announced that two additional signals would be 
made available for civil use.  One of these signals would be  available at=
 
1227.60 MHz (L2) frequency for non-safety critical applications.  Another 
more robust signal will be available at 1176.45 MHz
(L5) frequency for civil aviation safety-of-life services. In addition, mo=
re robust 
signals are also being considered to support military applications.  Curre=
ntly, 
the United States is in the process of evaluating civil and military 
requirements for GPS applications between 2010 and 2030.  This paper 
reviews the United States policies, plans, and technical issues associated=
 
with the modernization of GPS. 

Speaker Bio:	Kanwaljit S. Sandhoo works as a Lead Engineer for the 
Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) of the MITRE 
Corporation. He has BS in Electrical Engineering and MS in Operations 
Research.  He is providing technical support to the FAA's GPS and 
Navigation Integrated Product Team.  He was presented Vice President Al 
Gore's Hammer Award (June 1999) for  "=85 contribution to building 
government that works better and costs less." Mr. Sandhoo provided 
technical support to FAA for justifying the need for a second civil freque=
ncy 
and its allocation in the Aeronautical Radio Navigation Services (ARNS) 
band. He was presented an award for significant contribution (October 2000=
) 
by the Institute of Navigation for "=85developing and achieving support fo=
r 
GNSS implementation
and GPS protection at the World Radio Conference 2000."  He was also
presented MITRE President's Award (August 1999) for "=85 contributions=85 
that resulted in a decision that will maintain U.S. leadership in Satellit=
e radio 
navigation well into the twenty-first century=85 expertise and extra effor=
t 
earned you the praise of the Department of Defense, the Department of 
Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration and have helped fo=
rge 
a higher level of cooperation between these organizations."  He was a 
Technical Chair for Institute of Navigation (ION) GPS-99 conference. Prior=
 to 
this, he supported the FAA as the Deputy Satellite/CNS System Manager.  
He is presently supporting the GPS III program.


*  We are still in the process of arranging a meeting location here at
MITRE.  If there's a change of address I'll send out another email letting
you know.

-- 
Fred Seelig
The MITRE Corporation             Center for Advanced Aviation System
Development (CAASD) 1820 Dolley Madison Blvd.         F083 
Communications,
Navigation and Surveillance McLean, VA  22102                     
Communications and Information Systems Dept Mail Stop N660                
   (703) 883-3223  phone fseelig@mitre.org                 (703) 883-1367 
fax http://www.mitrecaasd.org