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VLSI & Embedded Systems Module

The VLSI & Embedded Systems Group conducts research on VLSI circuits for embedded systems, including mixed signal designs, memory designs, system-on-a-chip design using FPGAs and ASICs, reconfigurable computing, network on chip, RFIC designs, wireless sensor networks, and embedded systems design. The research topics aim to address challenges in scalability, verification, integration and cost reduction of VLSI circuits for a variety of applications.

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Anil Maurya
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20 views

VLSI & Embedded Systems Module

The VLSI & Embedded Systems Group conducts research on VLSI circuits for embedded systems, including mixed signal designs, memory designs, system-on-a-chip design using FPGAs and ASICs, reconfigurable computing, network on chip, RFIC designs, wireless sensor networks, and embedded systems design. The research topics aim to address challenges in scalability, verification, integration and cost reduction of VLSI circuits for a variety of applications.

Uploaded by

Anil Maurya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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VLSI & Embedded Systems Module:

INTRODUCTION:
The objective of the VLSI & Embedded Systems Group is to deal with the research, development
and design problems and their solutions in VLSI circuits for embedded systems.
The research topics covered by the group are:
1. Mixed Signal Designs
2. Memory Designs
3. System-on-a-chip design – FPGAs & ASICs
4. Reconfigurable Computing
5. Network on Chip
6. RFIC Designs
7. Wireless Sensor Networks
8. Embedded Systems Design

Mixed Signal Designs:


The increasing demand for mixed-signal integration results in many challenges. One is the
scalability and performance of analog/mixed-signal IP at advanced process nodes. Another
challenge is SoC integration and the demands it places on verification, physical integration, and
signoff. On top of this, aggressive cost targets require careful consideration of test and
packaging alternatives, often making previous packaging options unaffordable luxuries.
Mixed Signal Key Areas:
 Mixed/signal IP and SoC verification
• Behavioral modeling
• Design for test
• Chip planning
• Substrate noise analysis
• IP block implementation and signoff
• Chip integration and signoff
• Data management
• Design collaboration
• IC/package co-design
Memory Designs:
Modern digital systems require the capability of storing and retrieving large amounts of
information at high speeds. Memories are circuits or systems that store digital information in
large quantity. Today, memory circuits come in different forms including SRAM, DRAM, ROM,
EPROM, E2 PROM, Flash, and FRAM. While each form has a different cell design, the basic
structure, organization, and access mechanisms are largely the same.
System-on-a-chip design – FPGAs & ASICs:
A current-day system on a chip (SoC) consists of several different microprocessor subsystems
together with memories and I/O interfaces. The processor may be a custom or standard
microprocessor, or it could be a specialized media processor for sound, modem or video
applications. There may be multiple processors and also other generators of bus cycles, such
as DMA controllers. DMA controllers can be arbitrarily complex, and are really only distinguished
from processors by their complete or partial lack of instruction fetching.
Processors are interconnected using a variety of mechanisms, including shared memories and
message-passing hardware entities such as specialized channels and mailboxes. SoCs are found
in every consumer product, from modems, mobile phones, DVD players, televisions and iPODs.

Reconfigurable Computing:
Reconfigurable computing is becoming an important part of research in computer architectures
and software systems. By placing the computationally intense portions of an application onto
the reconfigurable hardware, the overall application can be greatly accelerated. This is because
reconfigurable computing combines the benefits of both software and ASIC implementations.
Like software, the mapped circuit is flexible, and can be changed over the lifetime of the system
or even the execution time of an application. Similar to an ASIC, reconfigurable systems provide
a method to map circuits into hardware, achieving far greater performance than software as a
result of bypassing the fetch-decode-execute cycle of traditional microprocessors, and parallel
execution of multiple operations.
Reconfigurable hardware systems come in many forms, from a configurable functional unit
integrated directly into a CPU, to a reconfigurable co-processor coupled with a host
microprocessor, to a multi-FPGA stand-alone unit. The level of coupling, granularity of
computation structures, and form of routing resources are all key points in the design of
reconfigurable systems.
RC Leading companies
1. Elixent
2. QuickSilver
3. Pact Corp
4. Systolix
5. Xilinx
6. Pico Chip
Network on Chip:
To meet the growing computation-intensive applications and the needs of low-power, high-
performance systems, the number of computing resources in single-chip has enormously
increased, because current VLSI technology can support such an extensive integration of
transistors. By adding many computing resources such as CPU, DSP, specific IPs, etc to build
a system in System-on-Chip, its interconnection between each other becomes another
challenging issue.

RFIC Designs:
Radio is a device that wirelessly transmits or receives signals in the radio frequency (RF) part
of the electromagnetic spectrum to facilitate the transfer of information. The front-end of a
radio is comprised of transmitter and receiver. RF circuit and system designs need their own
design methodology. Along with circuit design techniques and understanding of various building
blocks, the big picture of overall design always help the designer to foresee the issues
associated with the integration of transceiver components on to a chip.
Current research includes the development of:
1. Direct Digital-to-RF circuits
2. High-resolution GHz DACs and ADCs
3. High-performance Digital ASICs
4. Power-scalable Micro-architecture and Circuits
5. Heterogeneous Semiconductor Integrated Circuits (III-V,SiGe,CMOS)
6. High-efficiency Transmitters (GaN,CMOS)
7. Programmable Broadband PLLs and VCOs
8. Architectures and Sensors for Ultra-Wideband Receivers
9. Read Out Integrated Circuits

Wireless Sensor Networks:


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have gained worldwide attention in recent years, particularly
with the proliferation in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology which has
facilitated the development of smart sensors. These sensors are small, with limited processing
and computing resources, and they are inexpensive compared to traditional sensors. These
sensor nodes can sense, measure, and gather information from the environment and, based
on some local decision process, they can transmit the sensed data to the user.
WSNs are designed for specific applications. Applications include, but are not limited to,
environmental monitoring, industrial machine monitoring, surveillance systems, and military
target tracking. Each application differs in features and requirements. To support this diversity
of applications, the development of new communication protocols, algorithms, designs, and
services are needed.
Embedded Systems Design:
The faculty in embedded systems design works on design and implementation using analog
ICs, digital VLSI, and FPGAs. They also work on design methodologies to address the design
complexity of these designs. Investigation of specific application domains : ultra low-power
and energy-efficient design, power management circuits for energy-harvesting, radios for
wireless sensor nodes, and cryptography and security in embedded form factors.

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