A time-predictable many-core processor design for critical real-time embedded systems

Critical Real-Time Embedded Systems (CRTES) are in charge of controlling fundamental parts of embedded system, e.g. energy harvesting solar panels in satellites, steering and breaking in cars, or flight management systems in airplanes. To do so, CRTES require strong evidence of correct functional and timing behavior. The former guarantees that the system operates correctly in response of its inputs; the latter ensures that its operations are performed within a predefined time budget. CRTES aim at increasing the number and complexity of functions. Examples include the incorporation of \smarter" Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) functionality in modern cars or advanced collision avoidance systems in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). All these new features, implemented in software, lead to an exponential growth in both performance requirements and software development complexity. Furthermore, there is a strong need to integrate multiple functions into the same computing platform to reduce the number of processing units, mass and space requirements, etc. Overall, there is a clear need to increase the computing power of current CRTES in order to support new sophisticated and complex functionality, and integrate multiple systems into a single platform. The use of multi- and many-core processor architectures is increasingly seen in the CRTES industry as the solution to cope with the performance demand and cost constraints of future CRTES. Many-cores supply higher performance by exploiting the parallelism of applications while providing a better performance per watt as cores are maintained simpler with respect to complex single-core processors. Moreover, the parallelization capabilities allow scheduling multiple functions into the same processor, maximizing the hardware utilization. However, the use of multi- and many-cores in CRTES also brings a number of challenges related to provide evidence about the correct operation of the system, especially in the timing domain. Hence, despite the advantages of many-cores and the fact that they are nowadays a reality in the embedded domain (e.g. Kalray MPPA, Freescale NXP P4080, TI Keystone II), their use in CRTES still requires finding efficient ways of providing reliable evidence about the correct operation of the system. This thesis investigates the use of many-core processors in CRTES as a means to satisfy performance demands of future complex applications while providing the necessary timing guarantees. To do so, this thesis contributes to advance the state-of-the-art towards the exploitation of parallel capabilities of many-cores in CRTES contributing in two different computing domains. From the hardware domain, this thesis proposes new many-core designs that enable deriving reliable and tight timing guarantees. From the software domain, we present efficient scheduling and timing analysis techniques to exploit the parallelization capabilities of many-core architectures and to derive tight and trustworthy Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) estimates of CRTES.Los sistemas críticos empotrados de tiempo real (en ingles Critical Real-Time Embedded Systems, CRTES) se encargan de controlar partes fundamentales de los sistemas integrados, e.g. obtención de la energía de los paneles solares en satélites, la dirección y frenado en automóviles, o el control de vuelo en aviones. Para hacerlo, CRTES requieren fuerte evidencias del correcto comportamiento funcional y temporal. El primero garantiza que el sistema funciona correctamente en respuesta de sus entradas; el último asegura que sus operaciones se realizan dentro de unos limites temporales establecidos previamente. El objetivo de los CRTES es aumentar el número y la complejidad de las funciones. Algunos ejemplos incluyen los sistemas inteligentes de asistencia a la conducción en automóviles modernos o los sistemas avanzados de prevención de colisiones en vehiculos aereos no tripulados. Todas estas nuevas características, implementadas en software,conducen a un crecimiento exponencial tanto en los requerimientos de rendimiento como en la complejidad de desarrollo de software. Además, existe una gran necesidad de integrar múltiples funciones en una sóla plataforma para así reducir el número de unidades de procesamiento, cumplir con requisitos de peso y espacio, etc. En general, hay una clara necesidad de aumentar la potencia de cómputo de los actuales CRTES para soportar nueva funcionalidades sofisticadas y complejas e integrar múltiples sistemas en una sola plataforma. El uso de arquitecturas multi- y many-core se ve cada vez más en la industria CRTES como la solución para hacer frente a la demanda de mayor rendimiento y las limitaciones de costes de los futuros CRTES. Las arquitecturas many-core proporcionan un mayor rendimiento explotando el paralelismo de aplicaciones al tiempo que proporciona un mejor rendimiento por vatio ya que los cores se mantienen más simples con respecto a complejos procesadores de un solo core. Además, las capacidades de paralelización permiten programar múltiples funciones en el mismo procesador, maximizando la utilización del hardware. Sin embargo, el uso de multi- y many-core en CRTES también acarrea ciertos desafíos relacionados con la aportación de evidencias sobre el correcto funcionamiento del sistema, especialmente en el ámbito temporal. Por eso, a pesar de las ventajas de los procesadores many-core y del hecho de que éstos son una realidad en los sitemas integrados (por ejemplo Kalray MPPA, Freescale NXP P4080, TI Keystone II), su uso en CRTES aún precisa de la búsqueda de métodos eficientes para proveer evidencias fiables sobre el correcto funcionamiento del sistema. Esta tesis ahonda en el uso de procesadores many-core en CRTES como un medio para satisfacer los requisitos de rendimiento de aplicaciones complejas mientras proveen las garantías de tiempo necesarias. Para ello, esta tesis contribuye en el avance del estado del arte hacia la explotación de many-cores en CRTES en dos ámbitos de la computación. En el ámbito del hardware, esta tesis propone nuevos diseños many-core que posibilitan garantías de tiempo fiables y precisas. En el ámbito del software, la tesis presenta técnicas eficientes para la planificación de tareas y el análisis de tiempo para aprovechar las capacidades de paralelización en arquitecturas many-core, y también para derivar estimaciones de peor tiempo de ejecución (Worst-Case Execution Time, WCET) fiables y precisas

Public Buildings of Architect Milan Zlokovic - Affirmation of Modern Architecture in Serbia

This article is conceived as a contribution to the study and understanding of modern architecture in Serbia and Yugoslavia in the period between the two world wars. The subject of this study is the architectural practice of architect Milan Zloković, one of the most important actors of architectural modernism in the forthcoming period. The focus of research is Zloković work on the design and implementation of public buildings with emphasis on the four objects: Hotel “Žiča” in Mataruška Banja (1931-1932), Building Children’s University Clinic in Belgrade (1933-1936/1940), Building Elementary School in Jagodina (1937-1940) and FIAT Automobile Building Service in Belgrade (1939-1940). This phase of Milan Zloković practise is distinguished by authentic character of the author in the study of geometric forms, proportional analysis, applied materials and construction, all in new forms of organization of space in the spirit of modern architecture postulates

Studying Herbig Ae disc evolution in the era of ALMA

Giant planets are more frequently found around stars above 1.5 Msun. This is also the threshold at which the disc dispersal mechanism changes from X-ray to FUV-driven. We model discs along the pre-m.s. evolution tracks of 1.5-3 Msun stars, investigating different stages of gas and dust loss, and show that ALMA will provide the needed empirical evidence to guide the Herbig Ae disc evolution theory

Spare Parts Forecasting Based on Reliability

Stochastic models for spare parts forecasting have not been widely researched in scientific literature from the aspect of their reliability. In this chapter, the authors present models which analyze standard reliability parameters of technical systems’ parts/components. By analyzing system reliability and failure rate, we estimate the required number of spare parts in the moment of expected failure or when reliability falls below the predefined level. Two different approaches based on data availability are presented herewith

ALMA and Herschel Observations of the Prototype Dusty and Polluted White Dwarf G29-38

ALMA Cycle 0 and Herschel PACS observations are reported for the prototype, nearest, and brightest example of a dusty and polluted white dwarf, G29-38. These long wavelength programs attempted to detect an outlying, parent population of bodies at 1-100 AU, from which originates the disrupted planetesimal debris that is observed within 0.01 AU and which exhibits L_IR/L = 0.039. No associated emission sources were detected in any of the data down to L_IR/L ~ 1e-4, generally ruling out cold dust masses greater than 1e24 - 1e25 g for reasonable grain sizes and properties in orbital regions corresponding to evolved versions of both asteroid and Kuiper belt analogs. Overall, these null detections are consistent with models of long-term collisional evolution in planetesimal disks, and the source regions for the disrupted parent bodies at stars like G29-38 may only be salient in exceptional circumstances, such as a recent instability. A larger sample of polluted white dwarfs, targeted with the full ALMA array, has the potential to unambiguously identify the parent source(s) of their planetary debris.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures and 1 table. Accepted to MNRA

Background Proteins in Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Pharmaceutical Formulations of Different Origins

Gonadotropins, including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), have been used since and for several decades to treat infertility by ovarian stimulation. hCG is the most important protein for embryogenesis and embryo development and implantation in uterus upon fertilization of oocytes. The hCG used for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is being extracted from urine of pregnant women, and it does inevitably contains other proteins secreted into urine. The presence of other proteins varies from batch to batch, and it can be significantly high. Due to the fact that many of the proteins identified in these formulations can trigger an allergic reaction, which, in turn, can affect the embryogenesis and prevent embryo implantation, it is very important to check the amount and type of contaminant proteins in pharmaceutical formulations. It was found that the total protein content varied from batch to batch, and a large number of contaminant urinary proteins were identified in all analyzed samples except for the recombinant product

Proteomics as a Future Tool for Improving IVF Outcome

New technical and methodical and more efficient approaches beyond preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) are needed to elevate success rates in in vitro fertilization (IVF). One new approach could be the characterization of the embryos’ proteome during the IVF process. This means that specific proteins secreted by the embryo in the surrounding cultivating medium can be analyzed and compared between embryos in order to identify potential markers for a successful embryo transfer and resulting pregnancy. Furthermore, this procedure could result with understanding the processes during the whole time of incubation, from the moment of oocyte fertilization until embryo transfer and subsequently implantation by analyzing the culturing medium used in multiple culture medium exchange during the cultivation period. This procedure of embryo transfer to a new culture medium is essential for the embryo’s development and is performed daily or at least when the embryos reached the stage of embryoblast at day 4. The remaining medium after embryo removal is routinely discarded. However, this medium still can be useful for a detailed analysis of proteins and lipids that were secreted by the embryo during the previous incubation process and could help gaining information on the embryos’ current developmental status

Ispitivanje preciznosti GNSS uređaja Topcon Hiper SR prema normi ISO 17123-8

Konstantan napredak tehnologije donio je velike promjene u geodetsku struku. Jedna od tih promjena je korištenje GNSS mjernih sustava. Danas je moguće ostvariti centimetarsku točnost upravo zahvaljujući neprekidnom razvoju tehnologije kao što je: CROPOS, GPS, GLONASS, uspostava novih satelitskih sustava (Galileo, BeiDou-2) te kvalitetniji i precizniji GNSS prijamnici. Ipak bez obzira na sve navedeno, GNSS prijamnike je, kao i sve ostale instrumente, potrebno ispitati. Svjetska organizacija za normizaciju (ISO) donijela je norme prema kojima se ispituje preciznost GNSS mjernih uređaja te je opisan jedan takav postupak ispitivanja

Analysis of Higher Education Indicators Coherency in Central and Eastern Europe

Background: Higher education has the main role in generating innovative activity in knowledge-based economies. Therefore, the efficiency of the higher education sector reflects the alignment of the higher education policy with government expenditure. However, countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE region) have been struggling with national budget optimisation, which can cause fiscal stress and thus affect the efficiency of higher education. Objectives: The main objective is to examine mutual interaction of higher education indicators, through formulating financial models that connect performance and financial indicators. Methods/Approach: A total of 4 higher education indicators were analysed and observed in the time period of 10 years in selected CEE countries. The statistical analysis was based on panel data models. Results: The main result of the paper is the analysis of coherency of selected higher education indicators in selected CEE countries in order to establish functional links between government expenditure and efficiency through formulating financial models. Conclusions: Formulated financial models can predict the behaviour of selected performance indicators, depending on financial indicators. Therefore, the obtained models can contribute to the efficient allocation of funds and comprehensive macro-level decision making assessments in higher education policy reforms