NeuroFlow: A General Purpose Spiking Neural Network Simulation Platform using Customizable Processors

© 2016 Cheung, Schultz and Luk.NeuroFlow is a scalable spiking neural network simulation platform for off-the-shelf high performance computing systems using customizable hardware processors such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Unlike multi-core processors and application-specific integrated circuits, the processor architecture of NeuroFlow can be redesigned and reconfigured to suit a particular simulation to deliver optimized performance, such as the degree of parallelism to employ. The compilation process supports using PyNN, a simulator-independent neural network description language, to configure the processor. NeuroFlow supports a number of commonly used current or conductance based neuronal models such as integrate-and-fire and Izhikevich models, and the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) rule for learning. A 6-FPGA system can simulate a network of up to ~600,000 neurons and can achieve a real-time performance of 400,000 neurons. Using one FPGA, NeuroFlow delivers a speedup of up to 33.6 times the speed of an 8-core processor, or 2.83 times the speed of GPU-based platforms. With high flexibility and throughput, NeuroFlow provides a viable environment for large-scale neural network simulation

Verifying service continuity in a satellite reconfiguration procedure: application to a satellite

The paper discusses the use of the TURTLE UML profile to model and verify service continuity during dynamic reconfiguration of embedded software, and space-based telecommunication software in particular. TURTLE extends UML class diagrams with composition operators, and activity diagrams with temporal operators. Translating TURTLE to the formal description technique RT-LOTOS gives the profile a formal semantics and makes it possible to reuse verification techniques implemented by the RTL, the RT-LOTOS toolkit developed at LAAS-CNRS. The paper proposes a modeling and formal validation methodology based on TURTLE and RTL, and discusses its application to a payload software application in charge of an embedded packet switch. The paper demonstrates the benefits of using TURTLE to prove service continuity for dynamic reconfiguration of embedded software

Designing a Reference Model for Digital Product Configurators

Since the manufacturing industry is nowadays facing increasingly heterogeneous customer requirements, digital product configurators (DPC) have become a popular means for integrating customers into organizational value creation. DPC are information systems, which serve as a frontend to the customer and enable the individualization of products. The design of such a DPC is time consuming, expensive and lacks appropriate models offering guidance for its development. The paper at hand addresses these issues by providing a reference model (RM) for DPC development. The model has been constructed by means of an extensive literature review and was subsequently demonstrated and evaluated in a real world scenario. In order to ensure a flexible and individual development of company specific DPC the RM includes adaptation mechanisms. Therefore, our research provides a first building block to the endeavor of facilitating or even automating DPC development

Multiagent system integrating process and quality control in a factory producing laundry washing machines

Manufacturing companies are currently forced to reconsider their production processes by adopting more flexible, robust, and adaptive systems, aiming to improve their competitiveness. Multiagent systems (MASs) technology is suitable to address this challenge by providing an alternative way to design these complex systems based on the decentralization of the control functions over distributed entities. This paper describes the installation of a MAS solution in an industrial factory plant producing laundry washing machines. The installed solution focuses on the integration of quality and process control, and contributes to the maximization of the factory profitability facing changing conditions by applying self-adaptation procedures at the local and global levels. The preliminary results show improvements in the production efficiency and product quality, as well as a reduction of the scrap costs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Web Content Management and Personalization Model Using One-to-One Strategy for Higher Educational Institutions

This research explored a Web content management and personalization model for higher educational institutions. Through a review of literature and data collected from users, it formulated a conceptual model for Web content management and personalization. The study used the Web site of School of Technology at Eastern Illinois University as a typical case from which to develop the model for higher educational institutions. Understanding the factors influencing user attitudes about the adoption of new Web technologies is extremely important. Such an understanding can help Web developers develop a theoretical framework for a Web model as well as identify its components. Cognizant of user-centered design principles, the study surveyed School of Technology students to assess their attitudes and expectations about applying one-to-one marketing strategy to the School\u27s Web site and to identify the content of the site. Based on the survey results, it formulated design guidelines that helped ascertain the one-to-one Web marketing strategy for the model. Finally, the study formulated a conceptual Web content management and personalization model in Unified Modeling Language formats