RICERCA ITALIANA     

Architectures and Design Methodologies for Embedded Controllers, Wireless Interconnect and System-on-Chip.

Università degli Studi de L'Aquila

Abstract

The Center of Excellence will be centered on the investigation of new methodologies and architectures for the design of embedded systems. It is now common wisdom (see the series of articles published by Business Week in 1999 about the new world of electronics) that embedded systems will take the lion's share of the electronics market. Their use will be essential to make all the devices we use in our everyday life more and more efficient and safe. In particular, since these devices control the functioning of complex systems, a new automatic control theory focused on safety and on error-free design and implementation has to be developed. These devices will be very small and will have to be mobile since they will be embedded in transportation systems (e.g., engine controllers, navigation systems) or in objects that we will carry with us wherever we go (e.g. cellular phones, personal identification devices) also called wearable components. For this reason, the interaction with the environment will have to be through the use of low power wireless interconnections. Given the incredibly fast evolution of integrated circuit technology and the ever growing pressure on time-to-market, it will be necessary to develop and use methods that will be able to incorporate new components as they become available almost transparently. Furthermore, to be able to re-use at least some of the components previously developed for other applications or in earlier versions of the device, software will be chosen for flexibility and ease of modification.

In this view, the software that will be embedded in these devices will have to be developed with rigorous methods that could guarantee, at least in part, the correctness of the device and that could demonstrate the relative efficiency of software solutions versus hardware ones.



In this proposal, we made a conscious effort to gather all the necessary competence to face the problem posed by the design of embedded systems. The organization we have chosen for the Center is "Theme" driven to be able to leverage the knowledge base of the participants, certainly important, not to say essential, to reach the ambitious goals that we have set forth. We wanted to involve important electronics companies active both nationally and internationally since the very beginning since we wish to be closely in tune with the industrial reality of our Country. Our team has excellent relationships with research centers in Italy and abroad (in particular, the Principal Investigator for this proposal holds an appointment at the University of California at Berkeley) that will be very helpful in identifying problems and solutions above and beyond our human and infra-structural resources. We plan to transfer the knowledge acquired during the life of the Center of Excellence in our curriculum that will take a definite multi-disciplinary slant and that will be instrumental in preparing a new generation of engineers able to cope with the complexity of the future of electronics. <<<

Principal Investigator

Maria Domenica DI BENEDETTO Università degli Studi de L'AQUILA

International Relationship

The relationships with other research and development centers have been already presented: we just underline the special relationship with the University of California at Berkeley, for hybrid systems, nonlinear control, embedded software, low power wireless devices, sensors and actuators. In particular, the trilateral research collaboration agreement include exchange visitors and students. The Center of Excellence in L'Aquila will have, in our opinion, all the necessary requirements to stay in close contact with the world leaders in technology and design methods.



As far as industry is concerned, we have a number of important links:



1. Our long time experience with Magneti Marelli Power-train division supported by the Special Project MADESS and by a direct contract with Magneti Marelli. Our joint work has led to the development of new algorithms for engine control and to the support of the research work of several graduate students and three doctoral students. Our relationship gives an important perspective to the Center of Excellence in terms of advanced problems in embedded control that have a demonstrable impact on the industrial world.



2. Several joint projects with ST. In particular:

* The development of new architectures to be produced by ST, research carried out in collaboration also with PARADES.

* Characterization of the properties of semiconductors materials of new generation with microwave microscopy supported by MADESS.

* Characterization of bipolar (ST Catania) and LDMOS (ST Castelletto) devices.

* Design of high efficiency and high linearity amplifiers for wireless applications (i.e., cell phones and local networks).



3. With Ericsson, we have an activity for the design of analog low power integrated circuits.



4. With IRIS, we have developed speech synthesis algorithms (supported for three years by MADESS).



5. With Merloni, we have developed methods for fuzzy logic design for home appliances (supported for three years by MADESS).



6. With Micron, we have investigated Flash Memory architectures.



7. With IBM T.J. Watson Res. Center, we have developed software tools PEEC (Partial Element Equivalent Circuits) for EMC studies.



8. With Cadence Design Systems in the United States, we have had a number of contacts through the PARADES European Group of Economic Interest, to which Cadence participates. Cadence, the largest company in the Electronic Design Automation sector is helping us to use and deploy advanced tools and methods.



With all the companies cited above, we have a long lasting research collaboration and we believe it will be fairly easy to involve them in the activities of the Center of Excellence.



Furthermore, we cite our working relationships with a number of research centers:



1. With University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and with Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza" for nonlinear control.



2. With Politecnico di Torino, Scuola di Sant'Anna, and Universita' di Udine, for the issues revolving around the design of architectures and embedded software supported by MADESS.



3. With Chalmers University of Technology and Universita' di Roma Tor Vergata, for the detection of millimeter radiations with tunnel junctions S.I.S.



4. With Scuola di Sant'Anna, for a doctoral program in micro-systems.



5. With Glasgow University, for research on Micro-systems and microwave electronics.



6. With Universita' di Catania, Lecce, Tor Vergata, Padova for low power devices.



7. With the University of Missouri-Rolla, we have established a formal scientific collaboration agreement. The renewable 5-year agreement provides for the mutual exchange of: visiting students, visiting scholars information and publications, workshops, seminars and short courses. This agreement is designed to facilitate communication and encourage collaboration on projects that promote EMC education and research. <<<

Research Objectives

Given the research programs presented in Section 2.1, the macro-objectives of the Center of Excellence can be summarized as follows:



* To found a center of excellence of international quality for the design and the architectures of devices of the new era.



* To develop new design methods that allow fast turn-around of heterogeneous designs based on a variety of components including but not limited to: micro-controllers, wireless communication devices, integrated sensors and actuators.



* To co-develop the technologies studied in the Center with Italian companies both technologically sophisticated as ST and Magneti-Marelli and technology hungry such as Merloni Industries. To transfer technology to the small-medium size companies involved in the activities of the Center.



* To establish a reference point for the design of complex electronic systems in Italy based on a research collaboration agreement just signed among the Rettori of the Universita' dell'Aquila, of the University of California at Berkeley and of the Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza". The Principal Investigator of this proposal is the Principal Investigator of the research project covered by the agreement for Universita' dell'Aquila.



* To develop a curriculum that will focus on design methods for embedded systems involving several disciplines traditionally kept separate.



* To form a group of students and young researchers who, by actively participating to the Center activities, will be able to enter the industrial world with innovative ideas that will increase the competitiveness of the Italian industrial landscape at a time when the development of new methods for designing and conceiving new products is faster and faster.



The researchers of the Center of Excellence will be organized according to the six research themes presented above:



1. Hybrid control algorithms (Principal Investigator Prof. A. Germani).



2. Design methodologies that focus on correctness of designs (Principal Investigator Dr. Ing. E. Panizzi).



3. Tools and methods for the design of integrated systems including RF devices, sensors, actuators and power supplies (Principal Investigator Prof. G. Leuzzi).



4. Methods, tools and algorithms for the design of embedded controllers with particular emphasis on the integration of hardware and software components and time-to-market (Principal Investigator Prof. F. Parasiliti).



5. Methods and tools for the design of electronic systems with emphasis on EM emission control and resiliency. Simulation and experimental techniques to identify and verify the susceptibility of electronic systems with respect to disturbances in Power Quality (Principal Investigator Prof. M. Feliziani).



6. Analysis and methods for the design of wireless interconnect in complex systems (Principal Investigator Prof. S. Betti).



Prof. M.D. Di Benedetto, Principal Investigator for the entire Center, will be supported by Dr. Ing. P. Pepe.



This organizing principle, similar to the one used by the Giga-scale Silicon Research Center sponsored by DARPA and the Semiconductor Industry Association, is intended to favor the exchange of ideas among people active in different fields of expertise. This interchange will be helped by an open participation policy that will allow researchers to be in more than one group.



We plan to have regular meetings where the Principal Investigators will discuss the evolution of the Center and will coordinate the research activities. The researchers will meet regularly to debate technical issues and to present intermediate results.



The working groups will involve industrial designers of the participating companies. Results will be disseminated regularly via seminars and working sessions to be held once a month. <<<