Direct Optimization of a PCI Express Link Equalization in Industrial Post-Silicon Validation

Post-silicon validation is a crucial industrial testing process in modern computer platforms. Post-silicon validation of high-speed input/output (HSIO) links can be critical for making a product release qualification. Peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) is a high-performance interconnect architecture widely adopted in the computer industry, and one of the most complex HSIO interfaces. PCIe data rates increase on every new generation. To mitigate channel effects due to the increase in transmission speeds, the PCIe specification defines requirements to perform equalization (EQ) at the transmitter (Tx) and at the receiver (Rx). During the EQ process, one combination of Tx/Rx EQ coefficients must be selected to meet the performance requirements of the system. Testing all possible coefficient combinations is prohibitive. Current industrial practice consists of finding a subset of combinations at post-silicon validation using maps of EQ coefficients, which are obtained by measuring the eye height, eye width, and the eye asymmetries of the received signal. Given the large number of electrical parameters and the multiplicity of signal eyes that are produced by on-die probes for observation, finding this subset of coefficients is often a challenge. In order to overcome this problem, a direct optimization method based on a suitable objective function formulation to efficiently tune the Tx and Rx EQ coefficients to successfully comply with the PCIe specification is presented in this report. The proposed optimization approach is based on a low-cost computational procedure combining pattern search and Nelder-Mead methods to efficiently solve an objective function with many local minima, and evaluated by lab measurements on a realistic industrial post-silicon validation platform

Factorial Invariance of Self-efficacy in Physical Health Care Scale for Men and Women University Students

The present study analyses the psychometric properties of the Selfefficacy in Physical Health Care Scale. The overall sample consisted of 2006 subjects: 902 women and 1104 men, with a mean age of 18.53 years (SD= 1.52) and 18.84 years (SD= 1.55) respectively. The Factorial Psychometric analysis showed that a three-factorial structure (nutrition, physical health and hydration) was viable and adequate for both populations (men and woman) according to the established psychometric requirements when the informers are the students themselves. The results showed that factor structure, factor loadings and intercepts of the instrument could be considered invariant across groups; however, there are differences between groups in favor of men for the means of the nutrition and physical health factors

Actividad física, autoconcepto físico y bienestar psicológico en estudiantes universitarias mexicanas

El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue examinar el efecto de la práctica regular de actividad física y el autoconcepto físico sobre la percepción de bienestar psicológico en estudiantes universitarias mexicanas mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Un total de 532 mujeres universitarias mexicanas de 18-26 años de edad cumplimentaron el Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física, el Cuestionario de Autoconcepto Físico Modificado y las Escalas de Bienestar Psicológico. Los resultados del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales mostraron que la práctica de actividad física, a través de la competencia motora atractivo físico, tiene un efecto indirecto positivo sobre la percepción de bienestar psicológico en la dimensión de autoaceptación y ésta a su vez ejerce un efecto directo positivo sobre el crecimiento personal. El modelo propuesto obtiene un ajuste satisfactorio, explicando el 43% de la varianza en la percepción de bienestar psicológico en la dimensión de crecimiento personal (variable criterio).The main purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of regular physical activity and physical self-concept on the perception of psychological well-being in women Mexican university students using structural equation modeling. A total of 532 women Mexican university students aged 18-26 years old completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Modified Questionnaire of Physical Self concept and Psychological Well-Being Scales. The results of the structural equation modeling showed that the practice of physical activity, through motor competency-physical attractiveness, has an indirect positive effect on the perception of psychological well-being in the dimension of self-acceptance and this in turn has a direct positive effect on personal growth. The proposed model obtains a satisfactory fit, accounting for 43% of the variance in perception of psychological well-being in the dimension of personal growth (variable criteria).O objetivo principal do presente estudo foi examinar o efeito da prática regular de atividade física e o autoconceito físico sobre a perceção de bem-estar psicológico em estudantes universitárias mexicanas mediante um modelo de equaciones estruturais. Um total de 532 mulheres universitárias mexicanas de 18-26 anos de idade preencherem o Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física, o Questionário de Autoconceito Físico Modificado e as Escalas de Bem-estar Psicológico. Os resultados do modelo de equaciones estruturais mostraram que a prática de atividade física, a través da competência motora-atrativo físico, tem um efeito indireto positivo sobre a perceção de bem-estar psicológico nas dimensões de autoaceitação e esta por sua vez exerce um efeito direto positivo sobre o crescimento pessoal. O modelo proposto obtém um ajuste satisfatório, explicando o 43% da variância na perceção de bem-estar psicológico na dimensão de crescimento pessoal (variável critério)

FACTORIAL INVARIANCE OF ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY IN TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP SCALE ON MEN AND WOMEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The present study analyses the psychometric properties of the Selfefficacy Scale in the Field of Teamwork and Leadership in men and women university students. The overall sample consisted of 2089 participants: 902 women and 1187 men, with a mean age of 18.53 years (SD= 1.52) and 18.99 years (SD= 1.80) respectively. Psychometric analysis showed that a twofactorial structure (Teamwork and Entrepreneurship) was viable and adequate for both populations (men and woman) according to the established psychometric requirements when the informers are the students themselves. In addition, the factor structure, factor loadings and intercepts are considered invariant in the two groups; however, there are differences between groups for the means of Teamwork factor

Self-efficacy perceived in academic behaviors in university students of ‘health’ and ‘social’ sciences

The aim of this present study consisted in comparing the profiles of the academic Self-efficacy perceived in ‘Social’ and ‘Health’ Sciences University students. The total sample was 1113 subjects; 524 from Health Sciences and 589 from Social Sciences, with an average age of 18.20 years (DS= 0.72) and 18.24 years (DS=0.74) respectively. The approach adopted in this research was framed into a quantitative approach with a descriptive design, survey type. The results show that the perceived self-efficacy profiles are very similar among ‘Social’ and ‘Health’ Sciences students. And behaviors related to ‘Communication’ factor, represent an opportunity area for University students in their first year. Future studies should replicate these findings with larger samples

High-Speed Links Receiver Optimization in Post-Silicon Validation Exploiting Broyden-based Input Space Mapping

One of the major challenges in high-speed input/output (HSIO) links electrical validation is the physical layer (PHY) tuning process. Equalization techniques are employed to cancel any undesired effect. Typical industrial practices require massive lab measurements, making the equalization process very time consuming. In this paper, we exploit the Broyden-based input space mapping (SM) algorithm to efficiently optimize the PHY tuning receiver (Rx) equalizer settings for a SATA Gen 3 channel topology. We use a good-enough surrogate model as the coarse model, and an industrial post-silicon validation physical platform as the fine model. A map between the coarse and the fine model Rx equalizer settings is implicitly built, yielding an accelerated SM-based optimization of the PHY tuning process

Factores para la implementación de una Arquitectura Cloud Computing desde la Gestión Empresarial (ERP) y Modelos de Procesos de Negocio (BPM)

The research is developed in response to the need to study the relationships of enterprise resource management and its planning by the requirements and execution for implementation in a business management system (ERP) with Cloud Computing architecture for the business model of a company in the field of industrial processes. It was carried out by a documentary analysis, measurements and evaluations on the basis of the contractual services for availability, compliance with the corporate parameters defined by the initial, explored and implemented business process designs, as population and units of analysis, documents and analytical references of the projects, and functionality in the work areas.  The highest values were specified, of investment in consultancy for the implementation of investment in consultancy for the implementation with 55.10% of the initial budget, but in the execution the representation decreases in -2%, in the same way the behaviour of the licence service by subscription is analysed, which determines a 22. 35% for additional payroll as a percentage of the total budget, but which suffers a percentage variation decreased by -5.25%, the participation by reasonableness of these items, indicates decreases, however increases are observed in services for consulting and management of requirements of the IT area with increases of 3.40% and 1.09% respectively.Se desarrolla la investigación ante la necesidad de estudiar las relaciones de la gestión por recursos empresariales y su planificación por los requerimientos y ejecución para implementación en un sistema de gestión empresarial (ERP) con arquitectura Cloud Computing para el modelo de negocio de una empresa del rubro de procesos industriales. Se realizó por un análisis documental, las mediciones y evaluaciones que tiene como base los servicios contractuales para la disponibilidad, los cumplimientos de los parámetros corporativos definidos por los diseños de procesos de negocio iniciales, explorados e implementados, como población y unidades de análisis, los documentos y referencias analíticas de los proyectos, y funcionalidad en las áreas de trabajo.  Se especificó los mayores valores, de inversión en consultoría para la implementación inversión en consultoría para la implementación con un 55.10% del presupuesto inicial, pero en la ejecución la representación disminuye en -2%, de igual forma se analiza el comportamiento el servicio de licencia por suscripción, que determina un 22.35% por planilla adicional como porcentaje del presupuesto total, pero que sufre una variación porcentual decrementada en un -5.25%, la participación por razonabilidad de estos ítems, indica decrementos, sin embargo se observa incrementos en servicios para la consultoría y la gestión de requerimientos del área de TI con incrementos del 3.40% y 1.09% respectivamente

Transmitter and receiver equalizers optimization for PCI Express Gen6.0 based on PAM4

The continuously increasing bandwidth demand from new applications has led to the development of the new PCIe Gen6, reaching data rates of 64 GT/s and adopting PAM4 modulation scheme. While PAM4 solves the bandwidth constraint in high-speed interconnects, it brings new challenges for the physical channel analysis. Equalization (EQ) plays an important role even with PAM4 signaling. PCIe specification defines requirements to perform EQ at the transmitter (Tx) and at the receiver (Rx). During the EQ process, one combination of Tx/Rx EQ coefficients must be selected to meet the performance requirements of the system. Testing all possible coefficient combinations is prohibitive. Current industrial practice consists of finding a subset of combinations at post-silicon validation using maps of EQ coefficients. Finding this subset of coefficients is timeconsuming,along with all the new challenges imposed by PAM4. In this paper, we propose an optimization approach for PCIe Gen6 link EQ. Our proposal is based on a suitable objective function formulated over the channel operating margin (COM), which is a new figure of merit (FOM) adopted by standards of communications for signaling speeds beyond 25 Gbps.ITESO, A.C

Academic self-efficacy in first year students college of health sciences

Self-efficacy learning is an important component of learning for college. Academic self-efficacy refers to the degree of confidence that health sciences students could successfully complete on college-task. The purpose of this research lies on the specific characteristics of health sciences students according to their academic self-efficacy by comparing their profiles with students that chose a different discipline. The Academic self-efficacy sample was done to 2089 subjects: 902 women and 1187 men, all of them freshmen students from the different careers at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua who responded to a survey questionnaire, with an average age of 18.23 years (SD = 0.74). This is a quantitative approach with a descriptive survey design type. The results obtained by comparing students of health sciences, with students from other disciplines show that perceived self-efficacy in academic behaviors is very similar each other