Wireless Institute Seminar Series / RF Interference Analyses – Overview and Future Directions

Charles Dietlein, Research Engineer

at National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (NTIA ITS)

Abstract: Interference analysis is the science of determining the potential effects of undesired signals and/or noise on a receiver’s functionality. In this talk, we will review fundamental elements of interference analyses, including models of transmitters, receivers, antennas, propagation channels, interference protection criteria, signal processing, and scenarios. Next, we will discuss several real-world example problems and highlight how these model components can be combined for use in high-fidelity simulations, and answering questions about system performance in hypothetical scenarios. Finally, we will explore future research directions in interference analyses, including model standardization, realism, and how to improve statistical descriptions of harmful interference.

Bio: Charles R. Dietlein received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 2003 from Seattle Pacific University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 2005 and 2008, also in electrical engineering, from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

From 2008 to 2010 he was with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO, where he contributed to the development of the world’s first real-time passive millimeter-wave/terahertz camera, and the world’s first traceable source of millimeter-wave and terahertz power. From 2010 to 2021, he held several positions with the Department of Defense in Washington D.C., including Chief of Research and Development at the U.S. Air Force Analysis Support Office, where he received the U.S. Air Force Exemplary Civilian Service Award for his accomplishments during a detail with the Defense Technology Integration Program Office. He served in multiple roles with the U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, MD, where his research focused on advancing electronic warfare and intelligent radio frequency (RF) sensing concepts to meet future defense challenges. Notably, he was the architect and program manager for an advanced reconfigurable hardware-in-the-loop radar and communications electronic warfare emulation environment, enabling applied research in adaptive and cognitive RF technologies at low technology readiness levels while considering highly-realistic electromagnetic and operational environments. In 2021 he joined the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (NTIA ITS) in Boulder, CO, where his research focuses on distributed spectrum sensing, interference analyses, and enabling more efficient use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Dr. Dietlein has authored or contributed to over 60 journal or conference papers and technical reports, is a Senior Member of the IEEE, has served as Chair of the IEEE Washington Section, and is an elected Member of the U.S. National Committee (USNC) of the International Union of Radio Science’s (URSI) Commissions C (radio-communication systems and signal processing) and D (electronics and photonics).