Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Accelerator Supplements

This application is for funding to support a continuing research program on digital and wireless communications. The research program focuses on the design and analysis of advanced coding and signal processing schemes for the efficient and reliable transmission of information over communication channels such as Internet, wireless, cellular and satellite links. The goal is to devise communication systems and devices that are smaller in size, consume less power and perform better than the current systems. We would also like to increase the speed of communication systems to accomodate higher bit rates. In daily life, the outcome of this research translates to increasing the battery life of a cell phone or a laptop computer, better coverage and higher quality of voice, faster Internet access, and having lower cost for broadband communication services. The latter is possible as efficient coding and signal processing allows service providers to deliver more information over the same wire, optical fiber or airwaves with less cost. There are two aspects to our research: theoretical analysis and design of algorithms and systems; and VLSI implementation of communication algorithms and devices. We work on both the conventional digital and the more cutting-edge analog VLSI circuits. The latter allows extremely low power communication devices which operate at much higher speeds compared to today's devices.