This paper introduces the design and implementation of a wide dynamic range CMOS image sensor (CIS) with high sensitivity. The sensor is designed and implemented in a 130 nm CMOS technology. The pixel occupies an area of 3 µm x 3 µm and consists of six NMOS transistors with one capacitor. The readout circuit features an extremely low output noise of 19 µVrms with a 4 MHz bandwidth. Power dissipation of 11.2 µW was achieved at low voltage operation of 1.6 V. The sensor has a combination of low noise and a 97 dB wide dynamic range due to the diode connected load configuration.

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) have widely expanded in industry sectors all over the world. Scheduling is one of the problems that face the life cycle of FMSs. This paper introduces the simultaneous scheduling problem of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and machines in FMSs. The study is based on discrete event simulation (DES) to solve that problem using benchmark data used by previous studies. The objective of this study is to determine the starting and completion times of each job to minimise the makespan. The results validate the robustness of the simulation model, especially for large-scale problems. Furthermore, they are compared against the other approaches and show consistency.

This paper proposes a newly-formulated Perturb and Observe (P&O) method for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) in PV systems. The new formulation considers the effect of solar irradiation level on tracking the maximum power point (MPP). The formulated P&O method is tested under standard test condition (STC) to achieve tracking efficiency 99.98% against 98.4% for the conventional P&O method, 99.5% for the improved and 99.85 for the adaptive versions of the P&O method irrespective of the location of the initial operating point to the right or left of the MPP. The higher the tracking efficiency, the closer is the operation of the PV module to the MPP with a subsequent capture of maximum electric energy available in the incident solar radiation. At constant irradiation level, the tracking efficiency reaches 99.98% for the formulated method against 98.4% for the conventional P&O and 83.6–98.5% for the improved and adaptive versions. The amplitude of output power oscillations around the MPP is reduced to 0.05% of its average value for the formulated method against 1.02% for the conventional P&O, 0.5% for the improved and 0.8% for the adaptive versions. Also, the smaller the oscillations’ amplitude, the closer is the operating point to the MPP. The proposed formulation of P&O tracks successfully the MPP under various conditions including the Ropp irradiation profile, step and ramp changes of irradiation level. However, the conventional P&O method fails to track the MPP under Ropp and ramp changes of irradiation level.

Internet of Thins is a paradigm in which things (devices) communicate with each other and with a cloud platform to perform a set of tasks includes monitoring and controlling the device or the surrounding environment. In this paper, we introduce the basic architecture of AssIUT IoT a remotely accessible testbed designed for IoT applications. The testbed adopts Experiment as a Service (EaaS) model as it provides a suitable and easy way to remotely implement experiments related to IoT applications. We provide details about the testbed design and architecture from hardware and software point of views. Also, we provide some examples of the experiments which can be implemented using our testbed.

Post-quantum cryptography is an emerging solution to the expected security breach, introduced by quantum computers, to the currently used public key cryptosystems. This paper presents an experimental study on the effect of the overhead associated with the wireless transmission of some of the newly developed post quantum cryptography algorithms through the Internet of Things networks. Experimental results of this work include the energy and time measurements for wireless transmission of chosen sample messages of these new cryptographic algorithms. In addition, recommendations are given for appropriate modules configurations and choice of suitable security algorithm for the Internet of Things networks.

This paper presents a proposed design procedure of a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system based on high efficiency offset reflector antennas fed by conical horns. The system's performance evaluation is also demonstrated. The antennas in the transmitter and receiver sides of the proposed WPT system are symmetric. The performance of the system is optimized by calibrating the feeding horns and the offset reflector's dimensions to minimize the path and reflection losses of the proposed WPT system. The results show that correct line of sight alignment of the transmitter and receiver enhances the efficiency of the system. With an operating frequency of 6 GHz and 1 W of power transfer over a distance of 12 m between the transmitter and receiver, the system attains a total transfer efficiency of 62.9 %

This paper presents a proposed design procedure of a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system based on high efficiency offset reflector antennas fed by conical horns. The system's performance evaluation is also demonstrated. The antennas in the transmitter and receiver sides of the proposed WPT system are symmetric. The performance of the system is optimized by calibrating the feeding horns and the offset reflector's dimensions to minimize the path and reflection losses of the proposed WPT system. The results show that correct line of sight alignment of the transmitter and receiver enhances the efficiency of the system. With an operating frequency of 6 GHz and 1 W of power transfer over a distance of 12 m between the transmitter and receiver, the system attains a total transfer efficiency of 62.9 %

In this paper, we present the design and operation process of AssIuT-IoT testbed; an educational and remotely accessible testbed for internet of things applications. The testbed adopts the Experiment as a Service (EaaS) model in which users are able to access the testbeds and reserve/use the available resources remotely over the internet. Also, the testbed is federated with other ones distributed among different locations to allow sharing of resources, user accounts, and policies. The federated testbeds form an educational consortium that facilitates students’ access to hardware resources available at different locations. AssIuT-IoT testbed consists of a control server and a set of IoT nodes (hardware resources) supported with different wireless communication capabilities. We present the design, operation, and performance details of the testbed in terms of the hardware and software components. We describe the steps needed to complete experiments using our testbed, and we provide some examples. Moreover, we evaluate the testbed and the IoT networks performance. Finally, we present the internet of things students’ competition as one of the activities where the testbed has been used.

In this paper, we present the design and operation process of AssIuT-IoT testbed; an educational and remotely accessible testbed for internet of things applications. The testbed adopts the Experiment as a Service (EaaS) model in which users are able to access the testbeds and reserve/use the available resources remotely over the internet. Also, the testbed is federated with other ones distributed among different locations to allow sharing of resources, user accounts, and policies. The federated testbeds form an educational consortium that facilitates students’ access to hardware resources available at different locations. AssIuT-IoT testbed consists of a control server and a set of IoT nodes (hardware resources) supported with different wireless communication capabilities. We present the design, operation, and performance details of the testbed in terms of the hardware and software components. We describe the steps needed to complete experiments using our testbed, and we provide some examples. Moreover, we evaluate the testbed and the IoT networks performance. Finally, we present the internet of things students’ competition as one of the activities where the testbed has been used.

ABSTRACT Recently, the integration between healthcare services and new technologies has been enhanced to be very necessary and effective inside digital Hospitals. Digital hospitals include a huge number of healthcare advanced technologies that have special digital and architectural requirement; these requirements cannot be provided in traditional hospitals. Many previous studies and guidelines addressed few numbers of digital hospital’s rooms and their architectural requirements. Hence, in this study, healthcare advanced technologies has been determined for outlining the architectural consideration of digital hospital’s rooms. Accordingly, Robotic Surgery Ward (RSW) has been compared with Traditional Surgery Ward (TSW) for: a) demonstrating the effect of an advanced technology (Robotic technology) on a digital hospital ward and b) helping designers to find out the main architectural and economic principles of designing RSWs besides TSWs. The main findings in this study are: a) outlining the main architectural characteristics of digital hospitals in general and digital hospital’s rooms in specific, b) articulating the main architectural and economic aspects for RSW and robotic surgery rooms, which is different from TSW. As an application of the comparative analyses, possible design alternatives of RSW and TSW has been also proposed and compared.