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2012-05-18:
The University of Leicester - Department of Engineering
PhD Studentship
Failure-Detection, Fault-Isolation and Recovery Schemes for Reconfigurable FPGA-Based Systems
Reference Code: NPI/LE
Name of the supervisor: Professor Tanya Vladimirova
Sponsors: European Space Agency, Astrium UK and University of Leicester
Duration of the award: 3 years
Project description:
With the advances in microelectronics and satellite manufacturing, the concepts of reconfigurable computing using SRAM-based Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are now becoming possible on board satellites. Systems with these capabilities may be applied at different sub-system levels in a spacecraft, ranging from pure data processing task at payload level to more critical sub-systems related to the platform. However, reconfigurable systems introduce an additional level of complexity related to Failure Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) that is not fully understood at present.
Space-borne reconfigurable FPGA-based systems require specific FDIR schemes in order to enable them to be used reliably in the harsh radiation environment of Space. The choice of FDIR strategy is dependent on the FPGA's internal architecture and implementation as well as the target application and environment. The FDIR architectural elements include aspects such as redundancy schemes, built-in-self-test (BIST), FPGA design practices for a partial reconfigurable device, system supervisor role, on-chip reconfiguration practices etc. More importantly, it is necessary to apply fail-safe built-in-test (BIT) features to contribute to increased system availability, hence achieve increased cost effectiveness. The proposed PhD study is focused on FDIR analysis for on-board data systems that exploit reconfigurability or partial reconfigurability capabilities of SRAM-based FPGAs. The work will be orientated towards specifying efficient FDIR analysis procedures and applying appropriate FDIR schemes.
A secondary element would be to demonstrate the derived FDIR methodologies on a pre-defined set of applications reflecting both high-reliability space-borne payload applications, i.e. accelerating computationally demanding algorithms, and potential spacecraft platform applications where very high availability is required for critical sub-systems.
The conclusion of this work would be to apply FDIR methodologies in an FPGA flight demonstrator system. A possible flight opportunity is the technology demonstration payload on board the QB50 CubeSat proposed by the University of Leicester.
The successful candidate will be based at the University of Leicester, however she/he will be visiting Astrium UK on a regular basis and will undertake placements at ESTEC.
Value of the Award and Eligibility. The successful candidate will be awarded a Stipend of £18,000 per annum for 3 years and fees. The award is available to UK and EU nationals only. Travel expenses for visits to Astrium UK and stays at ESTEC will be provided.
Person Specification. You are expected to have a first class or an upper second class Honours degree in a relevant scientific or engineering subject. Essential requirements are: understanding of advanced digital system design for critical environments, experience with CAD tools for Xilinx FPGAs, as well as design skills with hardware description languages, e.g. VHDL. Knowledge of the space application domain, while desirable, is not an essential criterion.
How to Apply:
Please send a covering letter and a CV to Miss Tamar Challis, email: tc106 [at] leicester [dot] ac [dot] uk. The covering letter must also state the title of the studentship, quote the studentship code NPI/LE and state how your interests and experience relate to the project.
Closing Date: Thursday 31st May 2012
Further Information: For further details, please contact Prof. Tanya Vladimirova on:
0116 252 5372
email: t [dot] vladimirova [at] le [dot] ac [dot] uk
2011-04-07:
ECSI is looking for a web developer with Drupal experierence for contractual work. Please contact us for more information at office [at] ecsi [dot] org.
2011-04-07:
Vienna University of Technology invites applications for a Full Professor position (tenured) at the Faculty of Informatics.
The successful candidate will have an outstanding research record in computer engineering, with primary expertise in at least one of the following sub-fields:
· Dependable Systems
· Real-time systems
· Embedded Systems
· Cyber-physical systems
· Model-based design
· Safety and security
· Hardware architectures
More information can be found at http://www.informatik.tuwien.ac.at/aktuelles/442
Application deadline is April 10, 2011.