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- Run-time defragmentation for dynamically reconfigurable hardwarePublication . Gericota, Manuel G.; Alves, Gustavo R.; Silva, Miguel L.; Ferreira, José M.Reconfigurable computing experienced a considerable expansion in the last few years, due in part to the fast run-time partial reconfiguration features offered by recent SRAM-based Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), which allowed the implementation in real-time of dynamic resource allocation strategies, with multiple independent functions from different applications sharing the same logic resources in the space and temporal domains. However, when the sequence of reconfigurations to be performed is not predictable, the efficient management of the logic space available becomes the greatest challenge posed to these systems. Resource allocation decisions have to be made concurrently with system operation, taking into account function priorities and optimizing the space currently available. As a consequence of the unpredictability of this allocation procedure, the logic space becomes fragmented, with many small areas of free resources failing to satisfy most requests and so remaining unused. A rearrangement of the currently running functions is therefore necessary, so as to obtain enough contiguous space to implement incoming functions, avoiding the spreading of their components and the resulting degradation of system performance. A novel active relocation procedure for Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) is herein presented, able to carry out online rearrangements, defragmenting the available FPGA resources without disturbing functions currently running.
- Interactive Exercises on Analysis Methods for DC Linear Electrical CircuitsPublication . Sousa, Pedro A.; Gericota, Manuel G.; Alves, Gustavo R.Electrical Engineering students must learn the fundamentals of electricity in a very short time, due to the increasing number and size of areas addressed on EE courses. While some students have been exposed to those fundamentals during secondary level education, others have not. These circumstances increase the complexity of devising a good approach to motivate all students for learning. One example occurs when teaching the analysis methods for DC Linear Electrical Circuits, where the number of all possible arbitrary choices grows exponentially with the number of circuit branches. While first-time-exposed students are required to learn first how to apply the different analysis methods, the remaining students are required to calculate the total number of possible set of equations that solve the circuit. To serve both student groups, we developed an application that helps understanding the way arbitrary choices affect the set of equations generated for solving a customizable circuit.
- EOLES coursePublication . Gericota, Manuel G.; Fidalgo, André Vaz; Barataud, Denis; Andrieu, Guillaume; Craemer, Renaat De; Cristea, Mihai; Benachenhou, Abdelhalim; Ankrim, Mohammed; Bouchlaghem, Karim; Ferreira, PauloThe EOLES course is the main result of an innovative and groundbreaking TEMPUS project, focused in Engineering Education. It covers all the problematic areas of Engineering Education, trying of find a suitable compromise in satisfying all the methods of evaluating engineering degrees. EOLES is an international cooperative project, with an emphasis not only on one of the facets of engineering education, but trying to involve all of them. This paper describes the course’s preparation and accreditation, its structure (motivated by pedagogical constraints), the E-learning framework, and the virtual and remote laboratories and their integration in the course. Some data related to the current first edition of the course are provided, namely the number of applicants and their countries of origin. While limited to a 3rd year in a Bachelor’s Degree, for now, it is expected to be extended to a full course in a near future. The EOLES course is the result of an international effort involving experts from different engineering and education areas, in order to provide a better global Engineering Education.
- E-Engineering for Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Why and HowPublication . Ferreira, Paulo; Gericota, Manuel; Fidalgo, AndréThe potential for development of the Middle East and North Africa region has as one of it's obstacles the lack of a suitable engineering workforce. The Higher Education Institutions of the area have e-Engineering (online Engineering Education using Remote Laboratories) a tool to increase the number and quality of graduated Engineers. The e-Lives project aims to disseminate e-Engineering (good practices) in the region, and has documents and knowledge that can help all interested in this task.
- A new approach to assess defragmentation strategies in dynamically reconfigurable FPGAsPublication . Gericota, Manuel G.; Alves, Gustavo R.; Lemos, L. F.; Ferreira, José M.Fragmentation on dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs is a major obstacle to the efficient management of the logic space in reconfigurable systems. When resource allocation decisions have to be made at run-time a rearrangement may be necessary to release enough contiguous resources to implement incoming functions. The feasibility of run-time relocation depends on the processing time required to set up rearrangements. Moreover, the performance of the relocated functions should not be affected by this process or otherwise the whole system performance, and even its operation, may be at risk. Relocation should take into account not only specific functional issues, but also the FPGA architecture, since these two aspects are normally intertwined. A simple and fast method to assess performance degradation of a function during relocation and to speed up the defragmentation process, based on previous function labelling and on the application of the Euclidian distance concept, is proposed in this paper.
- Overview of the first year of the L3-EOLES trainingPublication . Andrieu, G.; Farah, S.; Fredon, T.; Benachenhou, A.; Ankrim, M.; Bouchlaghem, K.; Aknin, N.; Barataud, D.; Gericota, Manuel; Craemer, R. De; Cristea, M.This paper summarizes the key facts of an innovative e-learning training launched in september 2014 called L3- EOLES ("Electronics & Optics e-Learning for Embedded Systems") including a dedicated remote laboratory. It is important to emphasize that, to the author knowledge, this training is the first nationally-accredited training (and in 3 different countries) fully online in the field of Physics in the world. This is due to the development of a remote laboratory dedicated to the training and allowing students to perform practical works from any Internet connection.
- Real Time Fault Injection Using On Chip Debug Infrastructures – A Case StudyPublication . Fidalgo, André Vaz; Gericota, Manuel G.; Alves, Gustavo R.; Ferreira, JoséAs electronic devices get smaller and more complex, dependability assurance is becoming fundamental for many mission critical computer based systems. This paper presents a case study on the possibility of using the on-chip debug infrastructures present in most current microprocessors to execute real time fault injection campaigns. The proposed methodology is based on a debugger customized for fault injection and consists of injecting bit-flip type faults on memory elements without modifying or halting the target application. Three different configurations are compared in terms of performance, area overhead and communication bus width. The basic debugger design is easily portable and applicable to different architectures, providing a flexible and efficient mechanism for verifying and validating fault tolerant components.
- The EOLES project Remote Labs across the MediterraneanPublication . Fidalgo, André Vaz; Gericota, Manuel G.; Barataud, Denis; Andrieu, Guillaume; Craemer, Renaat De; Cristea, Mihai; Benachenhou, Abdelhalim; Ankrim, Mohammed; Bouchlaghem, Karim; Ferreira, PauloThis paper describes the concept, methodology and first steps of an EU supported TEMPUS project EOLES (Electronics and Optics e-Learning for Embedded Systems). Its aim is the creation of a 3rd year Bachelor degree that relies exclusively on e-learning and remote laboratories. The project involves 15 institutions from four European countries and three North African countries. The proposed course will be run from several institutions simultaneously and should be accredited as a formal specialization year in all partner institutions, awarding 60 ECTU (European Transfer Credit Units). The course will integrate a Virtual Learning Environment and a Distributed Laboratory.
- Assessing Defragmentation Strategies for FPGAsPublication . Gericota, Manuel G.; Alves, Gustavo R.; Lemos, Luís; Ferreira, José M.Fragmentation on dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs is currently a major obstacle to the efficient management of its logic space. When resource allocation decisions have to be made at run-time a relocation of currently running functions may be necessary to release enough contiguous resources to implement incoming functions. Relocation should have into account any specifics of function’s functionality and also those of the FPGA’s architecture as to not affect system’s performance. A simple and fast method to assess performance degradation of a function during relocation is proposed in this paper. This method is based on previous function labelling and on the new concept of proximity vectors.
- E-Engineering: from concept to realityPublication . Gericota, Manuel; Andrieu, Guillaume; Dalmay, Claire; Batarseh, Majd; Fidalgo, André; Ferreira, PauloEven before the digital era, the implementation of distance learning in higher education was a reality in many areas. Notwithstanding, the offer of distance higher education courses was not equal in all knowledge areas due to different teaching and learning requirements. The experimental work developed during the learning process in engineering areas is widely recognized as essential for engineering students. However, the remote availableness of this experimental, hands-on, works, typically done in University laboratories designed according to the different teaching subject requirements, was nonexistent. With the advent of remote laboratories, real-time remotely controlled laboratory facilities made possible by the advancements on the Internet network, this limitation disappeared. The concept of e-engineering, a merge between the e-learning concept and the remote laboratories, emerged as a solution to offer distance learning engineering courses without abdicating of the indispensable practical component of any engineering course. Two European projects – the Tempus EOLES project and the ERASMUS+ e-LIVES project – try to bridge the gap between concept and reality by first implementing an accredited higher education engineering course in Electronics and Optics e-Learning for Embedded Systems and then by producing a set of guidelines to help others to be autonomous in the creation of their own eengineering courses.