"Resource Management and Optimization in Multi-User DSL Systems"
Paschalis Tsiaflakis (K.U. Leuven, ESAT-SCD)
Digital subscriber line (DSL) technology is currently the most widely
deployed broadband internet access technology and will continue to play
an important role during the next decade. However, one of the major
sources that limits the performance of current DSL systems is crosstalk,
which is a channel distortion that is caused by the electromagnetic
coupling among the different copper wires (DSL connections). Multi-user
resource management is a very promising approach to prevent or even
remove the impact of crosstalk, and that can significantly increase the
performance of DSL systems.
In this thesis, multiple efficient algorithms are proposed for
multi-user resource management that only require a very low
computational complexity and that can be applied to large-scale DSL
systems. The application of these algorithms allows to significantly
increase the data rates of DSL systems. It is furthermore shown that the
proposed algorithms can be used to significantly reduce the energy
consumption of DSL broadband internet. The proposed energy-aware
technology is referred to as 'Green DSL', and it fits within the current
emerging trend of green information and communication technology (ICT).
For instance, it is demonstrated that the application of Green DSL can
reduce the transmit powers of DSL modems by 50% with only a minor impact
on the data rate performance.
Two OPTEC professors have been awarded three "Gouden Krijtjes", the yearly teaching awards given by the organization of engineering students (vtk). Prof. Lombaert was awarded the prize for the best course in civil engineering, and Prof. Diehl the prizes for the best professor and the best course in mathematical engineering (where he teaches numerical optimization). They received these awards at the yearly "proffentap" where experienced students taught them how to draft beer professionally.
