Broadband Applications and Demonstration Laboratory ( BADLAB^TM)

Satellite Multimedia Applications Research and Trials (SMART) Laboratory

All-Optical Network (AON) Demonstrator

Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory (ATEL) | Audio Perception Laboratory

Research in Advance Antenna Technologies Laboratory (RAATLAB)

Laboratory for Photonic Components and Systems Research

Wireless Systems Engineering Laboratory (WISELAB)

Badlab™
The Broadband Applications and Demonstration Laboratory ( BADLAB^TM ) is a major hub connected via a fiber based network to key labs and test beds on the CRC campus, to the Ottawa-Carleton research community through Atria Networks (formerly Telecom Ottawa), and to the NCIT*net. It is also a principal node on CANARIE, Canada's Advanced Telecommunication Network. Researchers can use this facility to showcase, test and evaluate emerging broadband applications, services and technologies over integrated communications systems comprising fiber optics, satcom and radio, as well as to support ongoing research projects. BADLAB^TM offers complete confidentiality for firms with an interest in protecting new products, along with access to a complete range of national and international R&D networks where new applications can be tested.

SMARTLab

The Satellite Multimedia Applications Research and Trials (SMART) Laboratory demonstrates new satellite communications services and applications, taking advantage of a test facility with tracking antennas as well as baseband and intermediate frequency equipment. SMART projects have included satellite links providing broadband multimedia services to schools in First Nations and remote communities throughout Canada. These links have made it possible to test the feasibility of telehealth, providing consultation, diagnosis and prevention education to the public, and continuing medical education to health professionals.

All-Optical Network (AON) Demonstrator

The All-Optical Network (AON) test bed is a network platform designed for long-term trials of key network building blocks, scalable architectures, as well as control and management solutions for next generation networks. Integration of platform with network intelligence and ability to automatically respond to traffic changes allow the AON test bed to further collaborate with industrial partners and academia on automatic network reconfiguration, control of signal impairments, wavelength dropping/adding or traffic changes, and dynamic wavelength routing and lightpath provisioning. In short, these capabilities make the AON test bed a valuable broadband playground for future developments of emerging technologies and applications.

Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory (ATEL)

The Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory (ATEL) conducts subjective assessments of the quality of advanced television, digital video and multimedia services. This facility supports a wide range of technical formats, from computer simulations to high-definition and three-dimensional television imagery. These capabilities enable the CRC to conduct research and development activities in support of national and international clients from industry, standards organizations, and governmental and non-governmental institutions. Clients interested in validating picture quality for broadcasting, multimedia and other applications turn to CRC.

Audio Perception Laboratory

CRC's Audio Perception Laboratory has a control room and two calibrated listening rooms to provide controlled listening environments for sensitive listening tests. The acoustical properties of the two rooms can be varied to accommodate different desired listening conditions. In their typical configuration, the rooms' acoustics conform to ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication sector) specifications described in Recommendation BS-1116. The laboratory is also equipped with professional quality audio production, recording and playback equipment for mono, stereo and multichannel sound. CRC-SEAQ (System for the Evaluation of Audio Quality), a powerful software package used by listeners to control the presentation of stimuli during subjective tests, was developed in-house. This software package has been licenced by industry giants Dolby, Philips, NEC, NTT, Matsushita, Panasonic, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, and public broadcasters like the CBC and BBC. These facilities, which are unique in North America, hosted subjective tests of audio source coding technologies for the ITU-R, making a significant contribution to the development of audio codec and digital radio standards. The capabilities of this site have also been crucial to the development of widely used subjective test methods (Recommendations BS.1116 and BS.1534) standardized by the ITU-R.

Research in Advanced Antenna Technologies Laboratory (RAATLAB)

Scientists in the Research in Advanced Antenna Technologies Laboratory (RAATLAB) carry out research and design on various novel antenna technologies including reflectarrays, dielectric resonator antennas, and multi-layer microstrip antennas and arrays. Prototype designs are characterized in RAATLAB's measurement facilities, which include a shielded anechoic far-field chamber, a large planar near-field scanner, a shielded anechoic compact range, along with a range of electromagnetic simulation software and prototyping services. This equipment has opened up new possibilities for the design of multi-element antenna arrays using microwave and millimetre wavelength signals. The laboratory's capabilities were crucial to meeting the needs of SkyWave Mobile Communications, an Ottawa-based telematics firm. CRC refined the satellite antenna technology that has become the company's core business.

Laboratory for Photonic Components and Systems Research

CRC's Laboratory for Photonic Components and Systems Research includes a microelectronics fabrication and assembly facility with over 4,000 square feet of clean room laboratories, outfitted for the most fundamental steps in growing optoelectronic semiconductor layers, along with facilities for the most sophisticated network performance analyses of the resulting systems. This work builds on the CRC's world-renowned expertise in developing several types of fiber Bragg grating components, which laid the foundation for today's optical communications networks. Dozens of companies around the world have licensed this technology from CRC since 1994, generating royalties of more than $10 million in a global industry that has generated sales approaching $1 billion.

Wireless Systems Engineering Laboratory (WISELAB)

The Wireless Systems Engineering Laboratory (WISELAB) is at the forefront of major advances in the field of wireless networking, developing concepts, prototypes and methodologies. Through the course of assessing the performance and interoperability of various wireless and wireline network technologies, developing network design techniques, and evaluating competing technologies, this facility has earned a reputation for technical expertise, independence and professionalism. Clients in the private and public sectors continuously seek these services, including the Directorate Land Command Systems Program Management (DND) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

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