Please note that this article was originally published on the old UCT IEEE website by Seán Stevenson. This article can be found here.

In the month of Nov./Dec. 2009, three active IEEE student branches in South Africa hosted local student paper contests.

Abstracts of the winning papers are listed below, and the winning papers were submitted to the higher level international competition, namely the IEEE Region 8 Student Paper Contest (SPC) 2010.

For more details, click here.

We wish all entries the best for the international level of the competition!

Submission from IEEE student branch, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Title: Passive Coherent Location (PCL) Radar using Digital TV signal – Download here (795 kB).

Primary (student) author: Titus Oyedokun
Supervisor & Co-author: Dr Yoann Piachard

Abstract — This paper analyzes the quality of digital TV signals as an ‘illuminator of opportunity’ for passive coherent location (PCL) radar systems. Digital TV signals being broadcasted in Cape Town South Africa will be analyzed by means of the ambiguity function for the possibility of target detection such as large passenger aircraft arriving Cape Town’s international airport. Furthermore, a system characterization with performance prediction is presented.

Submission from IEEE student branch, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
“A low complexity Soft-Input Soft-Output MIMO detector which combines a Sphere Decoder with a Hopfield Network” – Download here (932 kB).

Primary (student) author: Daniel Johannes Louw
Secondary (student) author: Pieter Botha
Supervisor & Co-author: Prof. Sunil Maharaj

Abstract — In this paper, a reduced complexity soft-input soft-output MIMO detector is presented. The detector is intended to be used in conjunction with an error correction code. The detector combines a Sphere Decoder with a Hopfield network to calculate a max-log-map approximation. It is then combined with the error correction code in an iterative structure (turbo). The code used is a quasi-cyclic non-binary LDPC code. The simulation results demonstrate that with less computational complexity, the proposed system’s performance equals that of an optimal sphere decoder based detector.

Submission from IEEE student branch, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
“Reliable File Transfer Using Forward Error Correction” – Download here (230 kB).

Primary (student) author: Bjorn Olsen
Secondary (student) author: Duane Churms

Abstract — An adaptive reliable file transfer protocol was designed and implemented. The protocol is based on forward error correction techniques, which improves the packet loss correcting potential of the protocol. The protocol outperforms TCP at loss rates above 10%, making it suitable for use over wireless links with a poor signal to noise ratio. Future testing and optimisation using large files or alternative techniques for estimating network characteristics could improve the applicability of the protocol.