Control-flow checking via regular expressions

The present paper explains a new approach to program control flow checking. The check has been inserted at source-code level using a signature methodology based on regular expressions. The signature checking is performed without a dedicated watchdog processor but resorting to inter-process communication (IPC) facilities offered by most of the modern operating systems. The proposed approach allows very low memory overhead and trade-off between fault latency and program execution time overhead

Reduction of Machine Tool Times Through a Software/Hardware Integrated Solution

Toolmaking is an industry that creates metal moulds, generally of durable tool steels, for producing vacuum-formed and injection moulded plastic parts, which are used in thousands of everyday items such as mobile phones. At present toolmaking is labour intensive with each machining operation requiring manual supervision. The FASTOOL project was a European Union funded collaboration that was aimed at reducing the manpower content of mould toolmaking, and extending the working day. This paper focuses on one element which utilised specially created scheduling and control software that operated an automated overhead gantry system and could remotely start the workshop machines. The software was completely object oriented which allows future proofing by creating new objects for new machines. The results demonstrate that this manufacturing process can be automated, leading to better working conditions for employees and an increase in efficiency and profitability.Mechanical Engineerin

Lessons learned from the design of a mobile multimedia system in the Moby Dick project

Recent advances in wireless networking technology and the exponential development of semiconductor technology have engendered a new paradigm of computing, called personal mobile computing or ubiquitous computing. This offers a vision of the future with a much richer and more exciting set of architecture research challenges than extrapolations of the current desktop architectures. In particular, these devices will have limited battery resources, will handle diverse data types, and will operate in environments that are insecure, dynamic and which vary significantly in time and location. The research performed in the MOBY DICK project is about designing such a mobile multimedia system. This paper discusses the approach made in the MOBY DICK project to solve some of these problems, discusses its contributions, and accesses what was learned from the project

System for Anomaly and Failure Detection (SAFD) system development

This task specified developing the hardware and software necessary to implement the System for Anomaly and Failure Detection (SAFD) algorithm, developed under Technology Test Bed (TTB) Task 21, on the TTB engine stand. This effort involved building two units; one unit to be installed in the Block II Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Hardware Simulation Lab (HSL) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and one unit to be installed at the TTB engine stand. Rocketdyne personnel from the HSL performed the task. The SAFD algorithm was developed as an improvement over the current redline system used in the Space Shuttle Main Engine Controller (SSMEC). Simulation tests and execution against previous hot fire tests demonstrated that the SAFD algorithm can detect engine failure as much as tens of seconds before the redline system recognized the failure. Although the current algorithm only operates during steady state conditions (engine not throttling), work is underway to expand the algorithm to work during transient condition