Signals

Off-Grid Communications For The Masses: Smart Metering

symonmkCommunication, Engineering, Programming, Projects, Research, Signals

In East Africa, a large percent of the population still does not have access to electrical energy and its benefits. To address this, several companies have developed micro-grids to provide AC power to rural East Africa. In order to sustain these grids, a remote, robust communication system has to be developed for purposes of metering and billing. In this post, I propose several efficient designs of a communication system that could be used to monitor and manage off-grid customers. Specifically, it proposes the technologies that can be used, the hardware and software implementation of such as system and how it can make business sense addressing equipment and operation costs.

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Simplification in Design of Wireless Systems: 5 Useful Steps

symonmkCommunication, Engineering, Programming, Research, Signals

As we all know, wireless is the preferred method of connectivity between most of our devices. This is going to take more precedence in coming years. The number of connected devices per person and the demand for fast, reliable content delivery within a network is rapidly increasing. Add that to the already ongoing craze of developing IoT devices and the super-scaling of server farms to support them. In my view, RF, DSP and embedded systems engineers will have a lot going on. This shift is largely dependent on the wireless systems we build. In this post, I try to figure out the best way forward in design of wireless systems.

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How Computers ‘See’ and Add Value to Your Media: An Intro to Computer Vision

symonmkBroadcast, Engineering, Research, Signals

This decade has been defined by advancement in data based technologies and learning algorithms. Terms like AI and automation have been used extensively to explain current trends in just about all industries. They have also been used to spark debates over fears of massive unemployment and increased consumerism that these technologies may bring. It is of much importance that you, yes YOU, the reader, to check and understand how these technologies may transform your way of life in years to come. One you may or may not have heard of is Computer Vision, that is likely to transform my current area of work and in this post I look at what this means for you and I.

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Easy Ways to Simulate the Strongest Microwave Links

symonmkCommunication, Engineering, Research, Signals

Having recently been involved with several microwave link installations and servicing, I have gathered several best practices to installing digital IP microwaves and obtaining the best PtP (point-to-point) links from them. A PtP link is simply a directional link between microwave antennas with a clear line of sight. During installation, several prior calculations have to be made to ensure the best possible link as well as mitigate the chances of link failure. With the recent development of online geographical maps, these calculations have been even more simplified and in this post we will dive into using these tools.

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Getting It Right With Audio Quality And Consistency

symonmkBroadcast, Engineering, Research, Signals

Of the twenty one senses that we have, hearing plays a large role in how we experience the world we live in. When it comes to video, humans tend to accept the limitations of the current generation technology. Remember when monochrome TVs were widely adopted? Mom remembers. However, we always expect clean, crisp audio from our entertainment/news platforms. Bad sounding media is often unforgivable as compared to poor image quality. Herein lies the need to ensure consistent great quality audio reaches your listeners. Let’s check the considerations audio engineers in your plant can contribute to the highest possible audio quality and consistency.

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