Biography
Kamilo Feher was born in Budapest, Hungary, on June 17, 1933. He received his B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Budapest in 1956. He then immigrated to Canada, where he obtained his M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto in 1958. He continued his studies at Stanford University, where he earned his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering in 1961.
Feher started his career as a research engineer at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey, where he worked on digital transmission systems and microwave radio relay systems. He then joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, as an associate professor of electrical engineering in 1964. He became a full professor in 1968, and served as the director of the Electronics Research Laboratory from 1970 to 1974.
In 1974, Feher moved to the University of Ottawa, Canada, where he was appointed as a professor and chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering. He also founded and directed the Communications and Information Theory Research Laboratory (CITRL), which became a leading center for wireless digital communication research in Canada. He supervised many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and collaborated with various industries and government agencies.
In 1986, Feher returned to the United States, where he joined Fairleigh Dickinson University as a distinguished professor of electrical engineering. He also established and directed the Center for Wireless Communications (CWC), which conducted research on advanced wireless technologies such as cellular, personal communication systems (PCS), global positioning systems (GPS), and wireless local area networks (WLAN).
Feher retired from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1999, but remained active as a consultant, lecturer, and author. He passed away on October 21, 2012, at the age of 79.
Contributions
Feher made significant contributions to the field of wireless digital communication throughout his career. Some of his notable achievements are:
He developed several novel digital modulation techniques that improved the performance and efficiency of wireless systems. These include continuous phase modulation (CPM), minimum shift keying (MSK), Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), trellis coded modulation (TCM), and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).
He pioneered the application of spread spectrum techniques to wireless communication systems. He proposed and analyzed various methods of spreading and despreading signals using pseudorandom sequences, such as direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), code division multiple access (CDMA), and time division multiple access (TDMA).
He introduced the concept of adaptive systems to wireless communication systems. He devised and implemented various algorithms for adapting parameters such as power, bandwidth, modulation, coding, equalization, diversity, and interference cancellation based on channel conditions and quality requirements.
He wrote several influential books on wireless digital communication that have been widely used as textbooks and references by students, researchers, and practitioners. These include Digital Communications: Microwave Applications , Wireless Digital Communications: Modulation and Spread Spectrum Applications , Digital Transmission Systems, Digital Modulation Techniques, Digital Communication Systems, Digital Signal Processing in Modern Communication Systems, Digital Communication Systems with Satellite Applications, Digital Communication Systems Using SystemVue, Digital Communication Systems Using MATLAB & Simulink, Digital Communication Systems Using MATLAB & Simulink: Theory & Design, Digital Communication Systems Using MATLAB & Simulink: Simulation & Design, and Digital Communication Systems Using MATLAB & Simulink: Laboratory Manual.
Legacy
Feher's work has had a profound impact on the development and advancement of wireless digital communication systems. His modulation, spread spectrum, and adaptive techniques have been adopted and implemented in various standards and applications, such as GSM, IS-95, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, LTE, and 5G. His books have been translated into several languages and have educated and inspired generations of engineers and scientists.
Feher has also received numerous awards and honors for his achievements, such as the IEEE Fellow, the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, the IEEE Communications Society Edwin Howard Armstrong Achievement Award, the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society James R. Evans Avant Garde Award, the IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Lecturer Award, the Canadian Academy of Engineering Fellow, the Engineering Institute of Canada Fellow, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario.
Feher is widely regarded as one of the pioneers and leaders of wireless digital communication. He has made lasting contributions to the theory and practice of this field, and has left a rich legacy for future generations to follow.
References
Digital Communications: Microwave Applications by Kamilo Feher
Wireless Digital Communications: Modulation and Spread Spectrum Applications by Kamilo Feher
Kamilo Feher - Wikipedia
Kamilo Feher - IEEE Global History Network
Kamilo Feher - In Memoriam
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