Centre for Wireless Communications

Services

Expert services offered by the Centre for Wireless Communications (CWC) of the University of Oulu aim at generating new wireless technologies for the benefit of its research partners and the society. Projects are planned in close collaboration in order to ensure that the knowledge created completes the research partners’ own expertise and learning needs, and supports the fine-tuning of raw ideas. By means of the results created in CWC’s research projects, research partners gain access to the latest developments in strategic research areas as well as advantage on future technological trends. By processing the advanced technological inventions created, partners can launch new products and partake, for example, in standardisation.

From the different levels of CWC’s service structure, which is described below, partners can select the elements that provide the desired support for R&D operations and decision making in the partner organisation.

As an essential feature in the service structure, portrayed on the upper level of the above illustration, phases are interlinked but can also be realised as individual entities. The process is also iterative meaning that, e.g. systems design or implementation phases can lead to the need to seek new theoretical solutions.

Projects are always tailored following the demands of the cooperation partners in question. Project work can be purchased on the basis of an hourly or monthly charge or as a total package including the agreed results. Consequently, the size of projects varies from a number of hours to more than one hundred person months. In all cases, a detailed project and research plan confirmed by the parties provides a solid starting and reference point for the research work and results.

The results received by research partners in the course of project work are described next.

Pre-study report

When producing a pre-study, CWC’s researchers perform an extensive literature review, scenario definitions or even preliminary studies including, e.g. simple simulation models. The results delivered for the research partners consist of recommendations on the feasibility of the explored technology, possible scenarios, as well as plans and useful background information for further studies.

Theoretical inference and/or simulation results

When drawing theoretical inference, CWC’s experts develop theoretical tools and generate results. This phase also includes analysis of chosen scenarios. CWC’s modeling capabilities enable the generation of simulation models and channel models based on measurements. Simulation tools used include, e.g. Matlab and OPNET.

Implementation options or system concept

When reviewing implementation options, CWC’s researchers explore current and emerging technologies. Algorithms are also modified and design methods and tools are selected and further developed when necessary. Before initiating the implementation phase, testing measures are defined including, e.g. the generation of test vectors. As a result, research partners will receive recommendations for implementation options on the most suitable implementation technology. Furthermore, preliminary HW/SW architecture designs can be provided as well as functional test definitions.

Measurement results

CWC’s measurement capabilities allow the performance of tests in real (or near real) operating environments. The operation environment measurements are typically channel measurements for wireless communication system design. For the research partners, the results can be given as raw data and/or processed data and detailed conclusions drawn from the measurements.

Hardware/Software

To allow realistic implementations, CWC also has capabilities for platform architecture design including, e.g. ASIC designs, DSP processors and FPGA boards. Software can be engineered, e.g. in C++ language ensuring the maximum performance of the hardware functionalities.