Open Topics in the Area of Software Defined Radio, Cellular Networks, High-Altitude Platforms, Meshed Networks

Software Defined Radio (SDR) for Computing Network Nodes

Supervisor: Juan Cabrera

Radio communication systems used to be implemented mostly with hardware solutions. It was difficult to make quick changes since they involved hardware replacement, e.g., filters, and modulators, and demodulators. This changed in the later years with Software Defined Radios SDR. This technology allows developers to build up complete radio communication stacks with off-the-shelf hardware. At the Comnets Chair, we have access to a testbed of multiple SDR devices that allows us to test a plethora of communication schemes for communication networks. We are interested in deploying and evaluating the performance of multiple communication schemes for wireless network nodes that perform computation, storage, and transport of information. These types of nodes tend to be at the edge of the network, and using them for computation and storage can drastically reduce latency and increase the reliability of communication.

Study of cloud radio access network and edge computing in High-Altitude Platforms (HAP) and nanosatellites

Supervisor: Riccardo Bassoli

High-Altitude Platforms (HAP) and nanosatellites represent the new way to provide connectivity and computing in remote/tactical areas, where no infrastructure is available. This can also become a useful solution in urban areas in case of natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes). However, HAP-based or satellite-based cloud radio access network open various fundamental challenges in edge computing and network virtualisation. The thesis’ work will be devoted to study, analyse and test (via simulation) specific characteristics of these systems. The details of the thesis’ topic and the level of the targets will be adapted according to the student’s preferences, motivation and talent.

Cellular Mobile Communication

Time-sensitive Networking for 5G

Supervisors (TICCTEC group):

Time-sensitive Networking (TSN) describes a set of IEEE standards to ensure deterministic transmissions over Ethernet networks. It is especially of interest for industrial applications, such as robot control or process automation where both (ultra) low latencies and reliability must be guaranteed. In order to leverage 5G communication for industrial applications, TSN is targeted as an enabling solution. In ongoing research projects (at the chair, such as TICCTEC), the integration of 5G as a virtual TSN bridge is under investigation. Part of the tasks is to extend the 5G core network with network functions (translator functions), to ensure correct QoS management within the 5G system, to research direct device-to-device (D2D) communication and further associated fields of interest, such as implementing new scheduling algorithms or multi-path communication for enhancing the reliability.

Please contact the supervisors if you are interested a the topic! We try to update the list frequently, but feel free to send us a message 😉

Prepared topics:

Wireless Meshed Networks

No prepared topics here.


You haven’t found anything interesting for you? This does not mean that there aren’t any interesting topics at our chair! Please contact Tung. He will help you to get in contact with a suitable supervisor. We will then create an individual topic that also fits your interest 😉