Welcome to the RF Laboratory

The RF Lab is focused on developing technological applications involving microwaves. Our goal is to develop signal processing algorithms and evaluate their performance in custom or commercial hardware platforms. In recent years we have been focused on the development of non-invasive, non-destructive remote wireless sensing techniques based on the ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.

Topics of interest:

  • RF circuits and microwave engineering
  • Non-invasive, wireless, remote sensing
  • Computational Electromagnetics
  • Impulsive UWB sensing systems
  • Deterministic and statistical signal processing

 

Members:

Dr. Andrés Altieri
PI and Lab Director
Personal page
Dra. Cecilia Galarza
Researcher
Dr. Juan Augusto Maya
Researcher
Personal page
Magdalena Bouza
PhD Candidate
Raymundo Albert
PhD Candidate
Dr. Gustavo Merletti
Research Associate
Personal Page

 

Current projects:

Design and construction of an impulsive UWB testbed for non-invasive sensing applications in the 1.5-2.5GHz frequency band.

The goal of this platform is to test non-invasive sensing algorithms. Potential applications include, but are not limited to,  characterization of bulk material samples and targets, through wall imaging, buried object detection, among others.

UWB transmitter UWB transmitter

 

Development of classification algorithms for dielectric targets

The goal of this project is to develop algorithms which can classify dielectric objects according to their dielectrical properties, shape and position by using the scattered response of the target when irradiated using an UWB electromagnetic pulse.

UWB transmitter

 

Development of imaging algorithms for object detection and mapping

This project aims at studying algorithms which generate images of a region by using measurements of backscattered signals. The goal is to generate a map of the region, indicating the presence and position of objects of different compositions and shapes. In the figures below, an electromagnetic simulation of a buried metal pipe, a B-scan of the scattered field and a recontructed image are shown.

UWB transmitter UWB transmitter

 

Available services:

  • Development of custom signal processing solutions
  • Modeling, design and simulation of microwave circuits for different applications including electromagnetic compatibility and wireless communications.
  • Measurement and evaluation of microwave circuits.
  • Aerospatial applications:
    • Design of algorithms for flight termination receivers.
    • Design of communication systems for vehicles in highly dinamic applications
UWB transmitter UWB transmitter

 

Recent publications

  • Albert, Raymundo; Galarza, Cecilia. Model Order Estimation for A Sum of Complex Exponentials.Preprint.
  • Bouza, Magdalena; Altieri, A.; Galarza, Cecilia. Classification of sums of complex exponentials. Preprint.
  • Altieri, Andres (2021). On the Correlation between the Noise and a Priori Error Vectors in Affine Projection Algorithms. Preprint.
  • Altieri, Andres (2021). A Time-domain Approach to the Design of Coupled-Resonator Microstrip Filters. ArXiV preprint.
  • Zilberstein, N.; Maya J. A.; Altieri A. (2021). A BCS microwave imaging algorithm for object detection and
    shape reconstruction tested with experimental data. Electron. Lett., 57: 88-91. https://doi.org/10.1049/ell2.12059.
  • Altieri, Andres; Bouza, Magdalena; Maya, Juan Augusto; Cecilia G. Galarza. (2020). Design and Evaluation of an Impulsive
    Ultra-Wideband System for Estimating the Moisture Content of Polyamide Targets. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. 10.1109/TIM.2020.3043121.
  • Cervetto, Marcos & Marchi, Edgardo & Galarza, Cecilia. (2020). A Fully-configurable SoC-Based IR-UWB Platform for Data Acquisition and Algorithm Testing. IEEE Embedded Systems Letters. doi: 10.1109/LES.2020.2997660.
  • Albert, Raymundo; Galarza, Cecilia. (2019). Spectrum estimation using frequency shifting and decimation. IET Signal Processing. 10.1049/iet-spr.2019.0306.
  • Gamez, P.; Altieri, A.; Galarza, Cecilia. (2019). High Gain Flatness Discrete Low Noise Amplifier for 3 to 5 GHz UWB Operation. 65-69. 10.1109/CAE.2019.8709292.
  • Bouza, Magdalena; Altieri, Andres; Galarza, Cecilia. (2018). UWB target classification using SVM. 1-8. 10.1109/ARGENCON.2018.8646072.
  • Albert, Raymundo; Bouza, Magdalena; Altieri, Andres & Galarza, Cecilia. (2017). Dielectric classification by sensing scattering field. 1-6. 10.23919/RPIC.2017.8214330.
  • Gamez, P. ; Marchi, E.; Cervetto, M.; Giuffrida, C.; Perez, G. ; Altieri, A.; Galarza, Cecilia. (2017). A low-cost ultra-wideband test-bed for dielectric target detection. 1-6. 10.23919/RPIC.2017.8214363.

Completed Theses

  • (Ms. Th) Zilberstein, Nicolás. Design of statistical inference algorithms for GPR-UWB signals (2020). Advisor: Juan A. Maya.
  • (Ms. Th) Dietz, Pablo. Design, implementation and characterization of an analog front-end for a general purpose UWB receiver (2019). Advisor: Andrés Altieri.
  • (Ms. Th) Cova, Alejo. Design, implementation and characterization of general purpose frequency oscillator (2018). Advisor: Andrés Altieri.