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The Embedded Systems lab supports teaching and research in embedded systems and re-configurable hardware technology. It is a cross-disciplinary facility with collaborative projects across departments such as Aero, EE, CSE, Mechanical Engg. etc.
As embedded systems evolve, design issues become increasingly complex, and previously rigid boundaries between hardware and software components become more fluid. With tight time-to-market constraints and rapidly changing protocols, the need for reconfigurable systems has become a necessity.
Presently, the RC lab implements novel ideas revolving around embedded microprocessors and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA's). Equipment in the lab includes FPGA prototyping boards and FPGA development kits provided by Celoxica Ltd.(U.K.), Dynalog 8051 trainer boards and a host of powerful desktop computers running Celoxica's DK1 Handel-C system development environment and Xilinx tools for hardware design. The FPGA prototyping boards use the Xilinx Vertex chip (1 M gates) or the smaller, cheaper Xilinx Spartan-II (200K gates).
Areas of Interest
- Hardware: Reconfigurable computing, hardware synthesis
- Languages: Esterel, Handel-C, Embedded Java, Rational Rose RTOS: RT-linux, Palm OS, Win-CE
- Embedded control systems: automobiles (such as engine management systems), real-time safety monitoring of industrial processes, etc.
- Telematics: GPS based applications, driver-rating system with automobile "flight-recorder" black-box, applications based on such devices
Projects completed in areas such as
- Communication/Networking (design of wireless MAC for 802.11 protocol)
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP) (PPEG-4 codec with encryption)
- Encryption (IDEA, DES, etc. codecs)
- Real-time Operating Systems (Applications)
- Reconfigurable architecture (Inertial Navigation System)
The facilities at the lab comprise high-end desktop PCs hosting a variety of hardware and software including:
Software
- Handel C based DK1 Design Suite(Donated by Celoxica)
- C Compiler for Microcontrollers
- Xilinx Foundation Tools(Donated by Xilinx)
- Real-Time Linux
Hardware
- Microcontroller-based platforms: 8051 based Trainer Kits, PIC processor,
web-enabled TINI-board, Simputers & Single Board Computers.
- FPGA platforms: PCI-based Virtex RC-1000/ 1M gate FPGA board (from
Celoxica), Xilinx Spartan II based FPGA board (donated by Celoxica Ltd.)
Robotics: LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Kits, Sony Aibo robot
- Other platforms: Radio Controlled Flying Airship Kits
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