Postdoc position on ultra-reliable intra-aircraft wireless communication

The Center for Wireless Technology Eindhoven (CWTe) of the Electrical Engineering (EE) department of TU/e has an open position for a post-doctoral researcher in the European project Horizon 2020 ADENEAS (Advanced Data and power Electrical Network Architectures and Systems), https://www.adeneas-project.eu/ . ADENEAS aims at developing advanced technologies for intra-aircraft data communication and power distribution. One of the technologies for data distribution that ADENEAS investigates is ultra- reliable wireless communication.

In the case of avionics, the most important advantages of wireless systems are weight reduction, resulting in less fuel consumption, flexibility, ease of layout, maintenance and modification. Despite their advantages, wireless technologies have been hardly adopted in aviation where most intra-aircraft connectivity relies on wired technologies. The use of wireless technologies is limited to in-flight online interconnectivity for the customers and to in-flight entertainment. The main reason for this is that current wireless technologies are not able to provide the reliability, security, and low-latency levels needed to effectively support the operation of the various aircraft functions.

ADENEAS investigates techniques to guarantee high levels of reliability in wireless networks inside aircrafts, comprising robustness for interference, failure and attacks, and with high levels of availability, flexibility, and dealing with stringent latency constraints. Besides making use of well-known diversity techniques at the physical layer such as channel coding and multiple antennas, the project investigates diversity techniques at the link and network layers. The project intends to consider intelligent mechanisms embedded in the network that, in addition to supporting self-configuration, self-organization and self-healing, will be able to detect, localize, analyze and predict connectivity disruptions and attacks and consequently take the necessary countermeasures. The proposed techniques will be validated using simulation tools and experimental set ups.

This position will be embedded in the Electro-optical Communication (ECO) group.

Center for Wireless Technology Eindhoven (CWTe)

The CWTe is a collaboration of five research groups of the Electrical Engineering department of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e): Electromagnetics (EM), Integrated Circuits (IC), Signal Processing Systems (SPS), Electronic Systems (ES) and Electro-optical Communication (ECO).

The Center focuses on four programs: Ultra-High Data-Rate Systems, Ultra-Low Power and Internet-of-Things Communication, Terahertz Technology, and Radio Astronomy. Together, these programs cover a range of topics such as antenna design, wireless power transfer, data conversion, RF circuit design, signal processing, communications baseband algorithms, and optical and wireless access network design. CWTe continuously develops a vision for each of the programs, their applications, and supporting technologies.

The Ultra-High Data-Rate Systems program covers network architectures and system design for high-speed, high-capacity wireless communications aiming at solutions for pushing data rates toward terabits per second. The Ultra-Low Power and Internet-of-Things Communication program focuses on the spectrum and energy efficiency of the IoT, such as ultra-low-power circuitry and protocols. The goal is to develop enabling techniques for massive and dependable energy-efficient communication networks. The Terahertz Technology program is working on the next step to realize miniaturized and affordable terahertz systems. It will be these systems that will bring the wealth of terahertz applications from the laboratory to the real world where companies, medical centers and consumers will profit from the special detection and imaging properties of this frequency range. Finally, the Radio Astronomy program focuses on designing the next generation of radio telescopes. The universe has never been properly mapped at low frequencies (below 30 MHz), and this research contributes to a space-based radio telescope with the goal to look deeper into space.

The CWTe integrates various laboratories designed for research on wireless antennas covering an area of 700 square meters: from near-field scanning (the testing of antennas in a small space), to the testing of new chips on wafers. The facilities include a fully shielded metal room in which the most sensitive electronics can be measured. In a system integration lab, chips can be linked to other components. There is a traditional anechoic chamber of 28m²facilitates antenna measurements from 500MHz till 40GHz. Next to classical far-field measurements it also supports planar near-field measurements of large connectorized antenna systems. In particular, the combination of the various laboratories and the clustering of the associated expertise in one place make the CWTe unique in Europe.