Microprocessor and Hardware
Laboratory (MHL)
Διονύσης Πνευματικάτος
Καθηγητής, Διευθυντής MHL
Τμήμα Ηλεκτρονικών Μηχανικών
και Μηχανικών Υπολογιστών
ΠΟΛΥΤΕΧΝΕΙΟ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ
Mission
• High Quality
Research
: Basic & Applied
• High Quality
Education
: Theory & Practice
• Educational/Research
Topics
:
– Computer Architecture
– Reconfigurable Computing – Embedded Systems
– Parallel Architectures & Parallel Programming – Custom Architectures/Application Acceleration:
Bioinformatics, Network Processing, etc. – Sensor networks
Personnel
•
Faculty
– Dionisios Pnevmatikatos, Professor, Director – Apostolos Dollas, Professor
– Ioannis Papaefstathiou, Assist. (elected Assoc.) Professor
•
Staff (university payroll)
– Markos Kimionis, EEDIP
– Kyprianos Papadimitriou (PhD expected 2011), IDAX – Euripides Sotiriades (Dr.), IDAX
•
Students
– Diploma Theses : 16 (101 granted) – Master’s Theses: 10 (21 granted) – PhD Theses: 5 (2 granted)
Research Outlook
•
Challenges
– High-performance Computing Systems
– Adaptation to changing needs/environment – Power Consumption Limitations/Efficiency
=> Custom, Efficient Architectures & Systems
•
Approach
– Use Computer Architecture Ideas
– Use Reconfigurable Logic (not just for prototyping) – Use Multi-core, GPUs, Grid, Distributed Processing, … – Apply to new areas:
• Bioinformatics applications • Sensor networks
Research Topics
•
Pnevmatikatos
– Computer Architecture, Reconfigurable Computing
•
Dollas
– Computer Hardware, Reconfigurable Computing
•
Papaefstathiou
– Digital System Design, Multi-core, GPUs
•
Synergies in
– High-performance Design
– Application Specific Processors/Application Acceleration – Low Power Systems
•
Areas of opportunity
– 2000-2007 Network Processors (NIDS)
– 2005-now Bioinformatics (BLAST, RAxML, Predator, Zuker, …) – 2010+ (grand challenges): 3D image analysis, security systems,
Research excellence – Our Vision
•
Research Performed at World Class Level
– Conference Publications – Journal Publications
– Participation in Conference Program Committees
•
Competitive Programs & Collaboartive Research
– World class academic partners (Imperial, Chalmers, VA Tech, U. Washington, TU Delft, UPM, …)
•
Industrial Partners
– Philips, Siemens, STMicroelectronics, Thales, Selex Galileo, Infineon, Alcatel-Lucent, and many more…
•
Some Results (pushing/defining the state of the art)
– The fastest compression engine (networks)
– The fastest Intrusion Detection System (SNORT, security) – The fastest BLAST processor (bioinformatics)
Research Details
•
Funded Projects
– 13 currently in progress (Total 26 since 1999)
– Budget since 2005: 3.8M€ Research + 0.7M€ PI for
University practical training, infrastructure, etc, = 4.5M€
•
We are expanding
– >2M€ funding starting at 2010 – Ongoing projects!!! – 2 staff, hiring 3 more Staff/Post-Doc
The sky is the limit but our research is no blue sky
research – we get working hardware to prove our
Education: Theory + Practice
•
Expose students to a wide spectrum of design options
– Microprocessors (μPs), GPUs, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)-based Development Boards
– Hardware Description Languages (VHDL), Programming languages (C, C++, Assembly, CUDA)
– CAD Tools for Design, Simulation, Verification
•
Undergraduate Education
– Logic (digital) Design: breadboard + TTL chips + wires + switches, … – Advanced Logic Design: VHDL + Simulation => programming actual
FPGA platforms
– Embedded Systems: Complex system design + Advanced CAD tools • Embedded processor + custom peripherals => FPGA Platforms • C code + VHDL + Simulation => FPGA/system programming
•
Graduate Education
Education
(the foundation for our students’ careers and our research)
•
Undergraduate
(most alternate prof. each semester)
– Logic Design (Dollas OR Pnevmatikatos)
– Digital Computers (Pnevmatikatos OR Dollas)
– Advanced Logic Design (Dollas OR Pnevmatikatos)
– Computer Organization (Pnevmatikatos OR Papaefstathiou OR Dollas) – Computer Architecture (Pnevmatikatos OR Papaefstathiou OR Dollas) – Embedded Systems (Papaefstathiou OR Dollas)
•
Graduate
– Architecture of Parallel and Distributed Computers (Pnevmatikatos) – Design of Specialized Architectures (Papaefstathiou)
– Special Topics in Reconfigurable Logic (Dollas)
•
Requirements
– Hands-on, intensive labs (entry/mid-level) / Project (advanced)
– Thesis work: Complex system building with Demo for
Lab Infrastructure
•
Equipment
– Logic analyzer, Oscilloscopes, Frequency generators – Printed Circuit Board (PCB) construction station
– Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) stations
•
Development Boards (FPGA-based)
– From cheap for student use to advanced, displayed at lab
•
CAD tools: (Industrial)
– Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor, Xilinx, …
•
Undergraduate Educational Infrastructure
– 15 complete “engineering bench” seats • Logic Design, etc
– 15 complete CAD-tool/Computer seats
• Advanced Logic Design, Organization, Architecture, etc – >300 person-courses serviced per semester
Our Student Graduates
•
Faculty/Researchers in Universities/Research Centers
– Georgia Tech, Chalmers TU, TU-Delft, Athens Information Technology (AIT), Foundation for Research and Technology (FO.R.TH-ICS), TEI Kavalas
•
Working in Industry
– Philips, Siemens, Microsoft, ATMEL S.A, Ellemedia
Technologies S.A, Intracom, Theon Sensors S.A, OTE S.A, EADS-3SIGMA S.A, NetLogic Microsystems S.A
•
Graduate Studies at Top Schools
– USC, UCSD, U. Wisconsin-Madison, U. Minnesota, Yale,
Duke, U. Edinburgh, Imperial College, TU-Delft, EPFL, ETH, U. Cyprus, U. Thessaly
System Design and Implementation at MHL
Biribakos I: an Autonomous Robot Diploma thesis project Plato I & II
Plato I: an Active Network Platform
I/O Device for the Handicapped
Robots supporting obstacle-avoidance class project
Available Development Platforms
Mid-cost/High-end FPGA-based platform (€400)
Low-cost μP-based platform (€100)
Low-cost/Mid-end FPGA-based platform (€150)
Low-cost Programmable Logic-based platform (€100)
Available Development Platforms
Mid-cost/Mid-end FPGA-based platform (€1000)
Mid-cost/High-end FPGA-based platform (€1000)
High-cost/High-end FPGA-based platform (€1500)
High-cost/Ultra high-end FPGA-based platform (€2500)
