The teaching philosophy at WILab focuses on the learning of fundamental concepts followed by the synthesis of those concepts via hands-on experimentation. Whether it is an undergraduate or graduate course course, a Ph.D. dissertation or a M.S. thesis, an international community summer school or conference workshop, or a summer research internship experience at WPI, all WILab teaching activities involve this very powerful integrated approach to learning that combines theory and practice.

WILab Courses

ECE 2305. Introduction to Communications and Networks [Online Lectures].
Cat. I This course provides an introduction to the broad area of communications and networking, providing the context and fundamental knowledge appropriate for all electrical and computer engineers, as well as for further study in this area. The course is organized as a systems approach to communications and networking. Topics include key concepts and terminology (delay, loss, throughput, bandwidth, etc.), types of transmission media, addressing, switching, routing, networking principles and architectures, networking protocols, regulatory and applications issues. Recommended background: ECE 2010.

ECE 2312. Discrete-Time Signal and System Analysis
Cat. I This course provides an introduction to the time and frequency domain analysis of discrete-time signals and linear systems. Topics include sampling and quantization, characterization of discrete-time sequences, the discrete-time Fourier transform, the discrete Fourier transform and its applications, the Z transform and its applications, convolution, characterization of FIR and IIR discrete-time systems, and the analysis and design of discrete-time filters. The course will include a focus on applications such as sampling and quantization, audio processing, navigation systems, and communications. Extensive use will be made of simulation tools including Matlab. Recommended background: MA 2051, ECE 2311 and a prior course in computer programming such as CS 2301 or CS 1101/2/4.

ECE 3311. Principles of Communication Systems
Cat. I This course provides an introduction to analog and digital communications systems. The bandpass transmission of analog data is motivated and typical systems are analyzed with respect to bandwidth considerations and implementation techniques. Baseband and passband digital transmission systems are introduced and investigated. Pulse shaping and intersymbol interference criteria are developed in relation to the pulse rate transmission limits of bandlimited channels. Finally, digital carrier systems and line coding are introduced in conjunction with applications to modern modem transmission schemes. Recommended background: MA 1024 and ECE 2312. Suggested background: ECE 2305.

ECE 4305. Software-Defined Radio Systems and Analysis [Online Lectures].
Cat. I This course provides students with hands-on exposure to the design and implementation of modern digital communication systems using software-defined radio technology. The prototyping and real-time experimentation of these systems via software-defined radio will enable greater flexibility in the assessment of design trade-offs as well as the illustration of ?real world? operational behavior. Performance comparisons with quantitative analytical techniques will be conducted in order to reinforce digital communication system design concepts. In addition to laboratory modules, a final course project will synthesize topics covered in class. Course topics include software-defined radio architectures and implementations, digital signaling and data transmission analysis in noise, digital receiver structures (matched filtering, correlation), multicarrier communication techniques, radio frequency spectrum sensing and identification (energy detection, matched filtering), and fundamentals of radio resource management. Recommended background: ECE 3311, MA 2621, familiarity with Simulink, familiarity with general programming.

ECE 502. Analysis of Probabilistic Signals and Systems
Applications of probability theory and its engineering applications. Random variables, distribution and density functions. Functions of random variables, moments and characteristic functions. Sequences of random variables, stochastic convergence and the central limit theorem. Concept of a stochastic process, stationary processes and ergodicity. Correlation functions, spectral analysis and their application to linear systems. Mean square estimation. (Prerequisite: Undergraduate course in signals and systems.)

ECE 503. Digital Signal Processing [Online Lectures].
Discrete-time signals and systems, frequency analysis, sampling of continuous time signals, the z-transform, implementation of discrete time systems, the discrete Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform algorithms, filter design techniques. (Prerequisites: Courses in complex variables, basic signals and systems.)

ECE 5312. Modern Digital Communications [Online Lectures].
This course introduces a rigorous analytical treatment of modern digital communication systems, including digital modulation, demodulation, and optimal receiver design. Error performance analysis of these communication systems when operating over either noisy or band-limited channels will be conducted. Advanced topics to be covered include a subset of the following: MIMO, fading channels, multiuser communications, spread spectrum systems, and/or multicarrier transmission. (Prerequisites: An understanding of probability and random processes theory (ECE 502 or equivalent); an understanding of various analog and digital (de)modulation techniques (ECE 3311 or equivalent); familiarity with MATLAB programming.)

Advised Ph.D. Dissertations

Le Wang. Hybrid DES-based Vehicular Network Simulator with Multichannel Operations. April 2019. Sponsor: Mathworks.

Paulo Victor Ferreira. SRML: Space Radio Machine Learning. May 2017. Sponsor: Brazilian Science Without Borders Program.

Bengi Aygun. Distributed Adaptation Techniques for Connected Vehicles. August 2016. Sponsor: Turkish Ministry of Education.

Travis Collins. Enabling 5G Technologies. January 2017. Sponsors: MathWorks, National Science Foundation.

Steven Olivieri. Investigating the Security of Near Field Communication. May 2015.

Zhu Fu. Digital Pre-distortion for Interference Reduction in Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks. April 2014.

Raquel Machado. Sparsening Filter Design and Software Defined Radio Applications. October 2014. Sponsor: Analog Devices.

Sean Rocke. On Random Sampling for Compliance Monitoring in Opportunistic Spectrum Access Networks. May 2013. Sponsors: Fulbright Foundation, Toyota InfoTechnology Center USA.

Di Pu. Primary User Emulation Detection in Cognitive Radio Networks. May 2013. Sponsor: Mathworks.

Si Chen. Vehicular Dynamic Spectrum Access: Using Cognitive Radio for Automobile Networks. October 2012. Sponsor: Toyota InfoTechnology Center USA.

Srikanth Pagadarai. Wireless Communications and Spectrum Characterization in Impaired Channel Environments. October 2011. Sponsors: National Science Foundation, Toyota InfoTechnology Center USA, Office of Naval Research.

Advised M.S. Theses

Andrew Radlbeck. Machine Learning Based Action Recognition to Understand Distracted Driving. December 2019.

Peter Morales. Games on Graphs: Making Decisions in Social and Biological Networks. December 2019.

Galahad Wernsing. Programmable Testbed for Bluetooth Experimentation. November 2019. Sponsor: octoScope.

Tasnim Rahman. Optimization of Cross-Layer Network Data based on Application Requirements. August 2019.

Kyle McClintick. Diversity Characterization of Wireless Channels within Challenged Transmission Environments. December 2018. Sponsor: MITRE.

Max Li. Deep Learning for Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed. December 2018. Sponsor: NASA Glenn Research Center.

Jabari Stegall. Securing Anonymous Data Exchanges in Vehicular Networking Environments. December 2018. Sponsor: Bill & Melinda Gates Scholarship Program.

Jonas Rogers. GNSS and Inertial Fused Navigation Filter Simulation. November 2017. Sponsor: MITRE.

Kuldeep Gill. Cognitive Radio Connectivity for Railway Transportation Networks. December 2017. Sponsor: National Science Foundation.

Nicholas DeMarinis. Securing Cellular Applications from Malicious Attacks. May 2015.

Cecilia Franzini. Spectrally Agile Waveforms for Ground Penetrating Radar Systems. May 2015. Sponsor: MITRE.

Nathan Ferreira. A Framework for Assessing Software Defined Radio System Performance. May 2015. Sponsor: MITRE.

Hristos Giannopoulos. Localization of Malicious Electronic Control Units on CANBUS Network using Channel Feature Classification. January 2017. Sponsor: MITRE.

Guilherme Meira. Stereo Vision-based Autonomous Vehicle Navigation. May 2016. Sponsor: Brazilian Science Without Borders Program.

Matthew Allen. Model-Driven Design of FPGA-Based Software-Defined Radio Systems. July 2014. Sponsor: Raytheon.

Amit Sail. Hardware Implementation of Filtering Based Sidelobe Suppression for Spectrally Agile Multicarrier based Cognitive Radio Systems. January 2013.

Harika Velamala. Filter Bank Multicarrier Modulation for Spectrally Agile Waveform Design. May 2013.

Travis Collins. Implementation and Analysis of Spectral Subtraction and Signal Separation in Deterministic Wide-Band Anti-Jamming Scenarios. May 2013. Sponsor: Office of Naval Research.

Nathan Olivarez. Mitigating the Effects of Ionospheric Scintillation on GPS Carrier Recovery. May 2013.

Le Wang. Detection of Man-in-the-middle Attacks Using Physical Layer Wireless Security Techniques. July 2013.

Devin Kelly. A Practical Distributed Spectrum Sensing System. April 2011. Sponsor: MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

Steven Olivieri. Modular FPGA-Based Software Defined Radio for CubeSats. April 2011. Sponsor: COSMIAC.

Michael J. Leferman. Rapid Prototyping Interface for Software Defined Radio Experimentation. January 2010. Sponsor: Mathworks.

Si Chen. Cross-Layer Optimization and Dynamic Spectrum Access for Distributed Wireless Networks. October 2009.

Di Pu. Frequency Rendezvous and Physical Layer Network Coding for Distributed Wireless Networks. October 2009.

Kevin M. Bobrowski. Practical Implementation Considerations for Spectrally Agile Waveforms in Cognitive Radio. September 2009.

Zhou Yuan. Sidelobe Suppression and Agile Transmission Techniques for Multicarrier-based Cognitive Radio Systems. May 2009.

Undergraduate Student Reports

To be added soon …

Summer Schools and Workshops

• New England Workshop on Software-Defined Radio (NEWSDR)
• 1st IEEE Workshop on Spectrum Access in Autonomous Vehicle Ecosystem (SAVE 2020)
• Second International Workshop on Vehicular Security (V-SEC 2017)
• Second International Workshop on Cognitive Radio and Electromagnetic Spectrum Security (CRESS 2015)
• First International Workshop on Cognitive Radio and Electromagnetic Spectrum Security (CRESS 2014)