Specialization profile--Physical layer signal processing for communication

The profile Signal Processing for Communications focuses on physical layer aspects of (wireless) communication systems, i.e., how to transport information through a physical radio channel. It covers the fundamental issues of modulation, coding, channel estimation, equalization, and detection of the transmitted data. Important aspects are further coping with hardware deficiencies (e.g. carrier offset recovery), the exploitation of multiple antennas (MIMO systems), as well as how to exploit the channel efficiently (channel statistics) using modern modulation schemes like spread spectrum and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) signals. Current research topics focus also on using the communication signal for localization. Applications are indoor localization, sensor networks, and satellite swarm navigation

In the context of multiple antenna processing, an important application area in which all aspects of telecom signal processing are very useful is signal processing for radio astronomy. The Netherlands is an important center for research in this area, and a large telescope consisting of over 50,000 antennas has just been completed.

Compulsory courses

EE4C03 Statistical Digital Signal Processing and Modeling
ET4358 Fundamentals of wireless communications
ET4386 Estimation and Detection

Suggested courses

EE4396Mobile networks5 EC details
EE4530Applied convex optimization5 EC details
EE4540Distributed signal processing5 EC details
EE4685Machine learning, a Bayesian perspective5 EC details
EE4715Array processing5 EC details
EE4740Data compression: Entropy and sparsity perspectives5 EC details
EE4C03Statistical digital signal processing5 EC details
ET4358Fundamentals of wireless communications5 EC details
ET4386Estimation and detection5 EC details

MSc project proposals

Some examples of thesis topics (this list is not exhaustive):
ELCA[2024] AI4RF: Artificial Intelligence for 6G RF Signal Processing
[2024] OpenWiFi-DPD: An Open-Source Digital Pre-distortion In-the-loop Wi-Fi Demonstrator
SPSDetecting anomaly patterns in networks
Data reconstruction on networks
Intelligent reflecting surfaces aided communication algorithms
Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces
MIMO radar for automotive applications
Signal Design for Accurate Time-of-Arrival Estimation Using Sparse Subband Signals
Digital processing for large pixel array 3D-TOF systems
Analyzing the characteristics of a leader in a diffusion network
Acoustic transfer function estimation for beamforming applications
Will High-Mobility Modulations Open Up the Ocean?
Sparse imaging and reconstruction in a pixel array
Occupancy mapping for automotive applications
Sparse Nonuniform Optical Phased Array Design
Design of sparse network control

Thesis examples

SPS 2023 Wenxin PanSubgraph Matching via Fused Gromov-Wasserstein Distance
Çağan ÖnenLiDAR and Radar-Based Occupancy Grid Mapping for Autonomous Driving Exploiting Clustered Sparsity
2021 Yanbin HeAdaptive Graph Partition Methods for Structured Graphs
2020 Maosheng YangAdvances in Graph Signal Processing
2019 Vishnu RachuriSpace-Time Codes for Massive MIMO Systems
Kevin van der MarkBlind OFDM Signal Parameter Estimation
Bart de VosGradient Coil Design and Construction for a Halbach Based MRI System
Ming DaiInvestigation on Time-of-Arrival Estimation for the LoRa Network
2018 Feng MaRespiration monitoring based on information fusion from Impedance pneumography and electrocardiography
Lichen YaoBluetooth Direction Finding
Aulia Recky SoepenoPhase Domain Ranging for Narrowband ISM Radio Bands
Dennis van der GeestBlind Signal Identification
2016 Yiling ZhangChina Digital Radio (CDR) Receiver Design and Development with FM Interference Cancellation
2015 Hongrun ZhangSensor Selection and Bit Allocation in WSNs with Realistic Digital Communication Channels
Shailja ShuklaGSVD based blind-beamforming technique for suppression of partially overlapping Bluetooth data packets from WiFi signals
Ruijie ZhangCompressive Power Spectrum Estimation: Further study on Non Uniform sampling and Parametric Approach
Shilpa RaoSparse Arrays: Vector Sensors and Design Algorithms
Yun WangSoftware-defined radio receiver design and development for China Digital Radio (CDR)
2014 Samira BahramiNon-Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring using the Viterbi Algorithm (NIALM-VA)
Shahrzad NaghibzadehIndoor Granularity Presence Sensing and Control Messaging with an Ultrasonic Circular Array
Joost GeelhoedJoint Angle-Frequency Estimation for Multiple Signals with Circular Arrays
Yongwei WangIndoor Localization based on Room Impulse Response Fingerprinting with little human intervention
Yi LuA "Transmission Time Reservation" method in a Wireless Lighting Control System
Cong NieResearching the BLE based intelligent lighting control system
Keke HuCompressive Sensing for Near-field Source Localization
Ning PanOffline Power Allocation and Spectrum Sensing Strategy in Energy-Harvesting Cognitive Radio Networks
2013 Viktor StoevPhotoacoustic Imaging by Means of Sparsity Regularization
Apostolos KontakisSpace-varying FIR filter design for nonuniformly sampled seismic data
Siavash ShakeriUnderwater ultra-wideband fingerprinting-based localization
Jeroen van GemertImaging of Cracks and Weak Spots in Steel and Aluminium Plate Rolls
Lyubomir ZegovWaveform Optimization for Compressive-Sensing Radar Systems
2012 Rakshith JagannathGrid Mismatch in Sparse-Signal Recovery of Compressive Sensing
2011 Z. HuangMulti-Carrier Wakeup Radio Receiver
Sundeep ChepuriWideband spectrum sensing techniques for wireless sensors
Millad Mouri SardarabadiComplex Factor Analysis
Stefan KokA multi-lag/multi-scale receiver for underwater acoustic communications
2010 Maxim VolkovRadio frequency detection and mitigation for LOFAR telescope system
David CaicedoIllumination control of an LED lighting system based on localized occupancy
Deheng LiuMultiuser Detection for Sensing Asynchronous LED Illumination Contributions
2009 Shahzad GishkoriCompressive Sampling for PPM and FSK Modulated Signals
Sajit AqeelA noise subspace approach for localization
Bruhtesfa GodanaHuman movement characterization in indoor environment using GNU radio based radar
Yukang TuWavenumber-frequency spectrum estimation of ambient seismic noise
Zixia HuReceiver Windowing Design for Narrowband Interference Mitigation in MB-OFDM UWB System

Contact person

For more information about the research group, possible thesis topics, and suggestions for your ISP:

prof.dr.ir. Geert Leus

Signal Processing Systems Group

Department of Microelectronics