2,178 research outputs found
From MARTE to dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs : Introduction of a control extension in a model based design flow
System-on-Chip (SoC) can be considered as a particular case of embedded systems and has rapidly became a de-facto solution for implement- ing these complex systems. However, due to the continuous exponential rise in SoC's design complexity, there is a critical need to find new seamless method- ologies and tools to handle the SoC co-design aspects. This paper addresses this issue and proposes a novel SoC co-design methodology based on Model Driven Engineering (MDE) and the MARTE (Modeling and Analysis of Real-Time and Embedded Systems) standard proposed by OMG (Object Management Group), in order to raise the design abstraction levels. Extensions of this standard have enabled us to move from high level specifications to execution platforms such as reconfigurable FPGAs; and allow to implement the notion of Partial Dy- namic Reconfiguration supported by current FPGAs. The overall objective is to carry out system modeling at a high abstraction level expressed in UML (Unified Modeling Language); and afterwards, transform these high level mod- els into detailed enriched lower level models in order to automatically generate the necessary code for final FPGA synthesis
Integrating Mode Automata Control Models in SoC Co-Design for Dynamically Reconfigurable FPGAs
International audienceThe number of integrated transistors that can be contained on a chip are increasing at an exponential rate, along with rise in targeted sophisticated applications. Thus the design of Systems-on-Chip (SoC) is becoming more and more complex. Hence there is a critical need to find new seamless methodologies and tools to handle the SoC co-design aspects. This paper presents a novel approach for expressing system adaptivity and reconfigurability in Gaspard, a SoC co-design framework, with special focus on partially dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs. The framework is compliant with UML MARTE profile proposed by Object Management Group, for modeling and analysis of realtime embedded systems. The overall objective is to carry out system modeling at a high abstraction level expressed in UML; and afterwards, transform these high level models into detailed enriched lower level models in order to automatically generate the necessary code for final FPGA synthesi
Targeting Reconfigurable FPGA based SoCs using the MARTE UML profile: from high abstraction levels to code generation
International audienceAs SoC design complexity is escalating to new heights, there is a critical need to find adequate approaches and tools to handle SoC co-design aspects. Additionally, modern reconfigurable SoCs offer advantages over classical SoCs as they integrate adaptivity features to cope with mutable design requirements and environment needs. This paper presents a novel approach to address system adaptivity and reconfigurability. A generic model of reactive control is presented in a SoC codesign framework: Gaspard. Afterwards, control integration at different levels of the framework is illustrated for both functional specification and FPGA synthesis. The presented work is based on Model-Driven Engineering and the UML MARTE profile proposed by Object Management Group, for modeling and analysis of real-time embedded systems. The paper thus presents a complete design flow to move from high level MARTE models to code generation, for implementation of dynamically reconfigurable SoCs
MARTE based design flow for Partially Reconfigurable Systems-on-Chips
International audienceSystems-on-Chip (SoCs) are considered an integral solution for designing embedded systems, for targeting complex intensive parallel computation applications. As advances in SoC technology permit integration of increasing number of hardware resources on a single chip, the targeted application domains such as software-defined radio are become increasingly sophisticated. The fallout of this complexity is that the system design, particularly software design, does not evolve at the same pace as that of hardware leading to a significant productivity gap. Adaptivity and reconfigurability are also critical issues for SoCs which must be able to cope with end user environment and requirements
Models for Co-Design of Heterogeneous Dynamically Reconfigurable SoCs
International audienceThe design of Systems-on-Chip is becoming an increasing difficult challenge due to the continuous exponential evolution of the targeted complex architectures and applications. Thus, seamless methodologies and tools are required to resolve the SoC design issues. This chapter presents a high level component based approach for expressing system reconfigurability in SoC co-design. A generic model of reactive control is presented for Gaspard2, a SoC co-design framework. Control integration in different levels of the framework is explored along with a comparison of their advantages and disadvantages. Afterwards, control integration at another high abstraction level is investigated which proves to be more beneficial then the other alternatives. This integration allows to integrate reconfigurability features in modern SoCs. Finally a case study is presented for validation purposes. The presented works are based on Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) and UML MARTE profile for modeling and analysis of real-time embedded systems
Higher-Order Process Modeling: Product-Lining, Variability Modeling and Beyond
We present a graphical and dynamic framework for binding and execution of
business) process models. It is tailored to integrate 1) ad hoc processes
modeled graphically, 2) third party services discovered in the (Inter)net, and
3) (dynamically) synthesized process chains that solve situation-specific
tasks, with the synthesis taking place not only at design time, but also at
runtime. Key to our approach is the introduction of type-safe stacked
second-order execution contexts that allow for higher-order process modeling.
Tamed by our underlying strict service-oriented notion of abstraction, this
approach is tailored also to be used by application experts with little
technical knowledge: users can select, modify, construct and then pass
(component) processes during process execution as if they were data. We
illustrate the impact and essence of our framework along a concrete, realistic
(business) process modeling scenario: the development of Springer's
browser-based Online Conference Service (OCS). The most advanced feature of our
new framework allows one to combine online synthesis with the integration of
the synthesized process into the running application. This ability leads to a
particularly flexible way of implementing self-adaption, and to a particularly
concise and powerful way of achieving variability not only at design time, but
also at runtime.Comment: In Proceedings Festschrift for Dave Schmidt, arXiv:1309.455
EPICURE: A partitioning and co-design framework for reconfigurable computing
This paper presents a new design methodology able to bridge the gap between an abstract specification and a heterogeneous reconfigurable architecture. The EPICURE contribution is the result of a joint study on abstraction/refinement methods and a smart reconfigurable architecture within the formal Esterel design tools suite. The original points of this work are: (i) a generic HW/SW interface model, (ii) a specification methodology that handles the control, and includes efficient verification and HW/SW synthesis capabilities, (iii) a method for parallelism exploration based on abstract resources/performance estimation expressed in terms of area/delay tradeoffs, (iv) a HW/SW partitioning approach that refines the specification into explicit HW configurations and the associated SW control. The EPICURE framework shows how a cooperation of complementary methodologies and CAD tools associated with a relevant architecture can signficantly improve the designer productivity, especially in the context of reconfigurable architectures
Skill-based reconfiguration of industrial mobile robots
Caused by a rising mass customisation and the high variety of equipment versions, the
exibility of manufacturing systems in car productions has to be increased. In addition to
a
exible handling of production load changes or hardware breakdowns that are established
research areas in literature, this thesis presents a skill-based recon guration mechanism
for industrial mobile robots to enhance functional recon gurability.
The proposed holonic multi-agent system is able to react to functional process changes
while missing functionalities are created by self-organisation. Applied to a mobile commissioning
system that is provided by AUDI AG, the suggested mechanism is validated
in a real-world environment including the on-line veri cation of the recon gured robot
functionality in a Validity Check.
The present thesis includes an original contribution in three aspects: First, a recon -
guration mechanism is presented that reacts in a self-organised way to functional process
changes. The application layer of a hardware system converts a semantic description into
functional requirements for a new robot skill. The result of this mechanism is the on-line
integration of a new functionality into the running process.
Second, the proposed system allows maintaining the productivity of the running process
and
exibly changing the robot hardware through provision of a hardware-abstraction
layer. An encapsulated Recon guration Holon dynamically includes the actual con guration
each time a recon guration is started. This allows reacting to changed environment
settings. As the resulting agent that contains the new functionality, is identical in shape
and behaviour to the existing skills, its integration into the running process is conducted
without a considerable loss of productivity.
Third, the suggested mechanism is composed of a novel agent design that allows implementing
self-organisation during the encapsulated recon guration and dependability
for standard process executions. The selective assignment of behaviour-based and cognitive
agents is the basis for the
exibility and e ectiveness of the proposed recon guration
mechanism
Modeling and Analyzing Adaptive User-Centric Systems in Real-Time Maude
Pervasive user-centric applications are systems which are meant to sense the
presence, mood, and intentions of users in order to optimize user comfort and
performance. Building such applications requires not only state-of-the art
techniques from artificial intelligence but also sound software engineering
methods for facilitating modular design, runtime adaptation and verification of
critical system requirements.
In this paper we focus on high-level design and analysis, and use the
algebraic rewriting language Real-Time Maude for specifying applications in a
real-time setting. We propose a generic component-based approach for modeling
pervasive user-centric systems and we show how to analyze and prove crucial
properties of the system architecture through model checking and simulation.
For proving time-dependent properties we use Metric Temporal Logic (MTL) and
present analysis algorithms for model checking two subclasses of MTL formulas:
time-bounded response and time-bounded safety MTL formulas. The underlying idea
is to extend the Real-Time Maude model with suitable clocks, to transform the
MTL formulas into LTL formulas over the extended specification, and then to use
the LTL model checker of Maude. It is shown that these analyses are sound and
complete for maximal time sampling. The approach is illustrated by a simple
adaptive advertising scenario in which an adaptive advertisement display can
react to actions of the users in front of the display.Comment: In Proceedings RTRTS 2010, arXiv:1009.398
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