Microprocessor and Hardware Laboratory (MHL) Διονύσης Πνευματικάτος Καθηγητής, Διευθυντής MHL Τμήμα Ηλεκτρονικών Μηχανικών και Μηχανικών Υπολογιστών ΠΟΛΥΤΕΧΝΕΙΟ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ
Mission High Quality Research: Basic & Applied High Quality Education: Theory & Practice Educational/Research Topics: Computer Architecture Reconfigurable Computing Embedded Systems Parallel Architectures & Parallel Programming Custom Architectures/Application Acceleration: Bioinformatics, Network Processing, etc. Sensor networks
Personnel Faculty Dionisios Pnevmatikatos, Professor, Director Apostolos Dollas, Professor Ioannis Papaefstathiou, Assist. (elected Assoc.) Professor Staff (university payroll) Markos Kimionis, EEDIP Kyprianos Papadimitriou (PhD expected 2011), IDAX Euripides Sotiriades (Dr.), IDAX Students Diploma Theses : 16 (101 granted) Master s Theses: 10 (21 granted) PhD Theses: 5 (2 granted)
Research Outlook Challenges High-performance Computing Systems Adaptation to changing needs/environment Power Consumption Limitations/Efficiency => Custom, Efficient Architectures & Systems Approach Use Computer Architecture Ideas Use Reconfigurable Logic (not just for prototyping) Use Multi-core, GPUs, Grid, Distributed Processing, Apply to new areas: Bioinformatics applications Sensor networks Power efficient processing
Research Topics Pnevmatikatos Computer Architecture, Reconfigurable Computing Dollas Computer Hardware, Reconfigurable Computing Papaefstathiou Digital System Design, Multi-core, GPUs Synergies in High-performance Design Application Specific Processors/Application Acceleration Low Power Systems Areas of opportunity 2000-2007 Network Processors (NIDS) 2005-now Bioinformatics (BLAST, RAxML, Predator, Zuker, ) 2010+ (grand challenges): 3D image analysis, security systems, HW/SW co-design (productivity) tools
Research excellence Our Vision Research Performed at World Class Level Conference Publications Journal Publications Participation in Conference Program Committees Competitive Programs & Collaboartive Research World class academic partners (Imperial, Chalmers, VA Tech, U. Washington, TU Delft, UPM, ) Industrial Partners Philips, Siemens, STMicroelectronics, Thales, Selex Galileo, Infineon, Alcatel-Lucent, and many more Some Results (pushing/defining the state of the art) The fastest compression engine (networks) The fastest Intrusion Detection System (SNORT, security) The fastest BLAST processor (bioinformatics)
Research Details Funded Projects 13 currently in progress (Total 26 since 1999) Budget since 2005: 3.8M Research + 0.7M PI for University practical training, infrastructure, etc, = 4.5M We are expanding >2M funding starting at 2010 Ongoing projects!!! 2 staff, hiring 3 more Staff/Post-Doc The sky is the limit but our research is no blue sky research we get working hardware to prove our concepts
Education: Theory + Practice Expose students to a wide spectrum of design options Microprocessors (μps), GPUs, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)-based Development Boards Hardware Description Languages (VHDL), Programming languages (C, C++, Assembly, CUDA) CAD Tools for Design, Simulation, Verification Undergraduate Education Logic (digital) Design: breadboard + TTL chips + wires + switches, Advanced Logic Design: VHDL + Simulation => programming actual FPGA platforms Embedded Systems: Complex system design + Advanced CAD tools Embedded processor + custom peripherals => FPGA Platforms C code + VHDL + Simulation => FPGA/system programming Graduate Education Projects on High-end FPGA/GPU/Grid platforms
Education (the foundation for our students careers and our research) Undergraduate (most alternate prof. each semester) Logic Design (Dollas OR Pnevmatikatos) Digital Computers (Pnevmatikatos OR Dollas) Advanced Logic Design (Dollas OR Pnevmatikatos) Computer Organization (Pnevmatikatos OR Papaefstathiou OR Dollas) Computer Architecture (Pnevmatikatos OR Papaefstathiou OR Dollas) Embedded Systems (Papaefstathiou OR Dollas) Graduate Architecture of Parallel and Distributed Computers (Pnevmatikatos) Design of Specialized Architectures (Papaefstathiou) Special Topics in Reconfigurable Logic (Dollas) Requirements Hands-on, intensive labs (entry/mid-level) / Project (advanced) Thesis work: Complex system building with Demo for undergraduates and graduates thesis work
Lab Infrastructure Equipment Logic analyzer, Oscilloscopes, Frequency generators Printed Circuit Board (PCB) construction station Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) stations Development Boards (FPGA-based) From cheap for student use to advanced, displayed at lab CAD tools: (Industrial) Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor, Xilinx, Undergraduate Educational Infrastructure 15 complete engineering bench seats Logic Design, etc 15 complete CAD-tool/Computer seats Advanced Logic Design, Organization, Architecture, etc >300 person-courses serviced per semester
Our Student Graduates Faculty/Researchers in Universities/Research Centers Georgia Tech, Chalmers TU, TU-Delft, Athens Information Technology (AIT), Foundation for Research and Technology (FO.R.TH-ICS), TEI Kavalas Working in Industry Philips, Siemens, Microsoft, ATMEL S.A, Ellemedia Technologies S.A, Intracom, Theon Sensors S.A, OTE S.A, EADS-3SIGMA S.A, NetLogic Microsystems S.A Graduate Studies at Top Schools USC, UCSD, U. Wisconsin-Madison, U. Minnesota, Yale, Duke, U. Edinburgh, Imperial College, TU-Delft, EPFL, ETH, U. Cyprus, U. Thessaly
System Design and Implementation at MHL Plato I: an Active Network Platform Plato I & II Biribakos I: an Autonomous Robot Diploma thesis project I/O Device for the Handicapped Robots supporting obstacle-avoidance class project
Available Development Platforms Low-cost μp-based platform ( 100) Low-cost Programmable Logic-based platform ( 100) Low-cost/Mid-end FPGA-based platform ( 150) Mid-cost/High-end FPGA-based platform ( 400)
Available Development Platforms Mid-cost/Mid-end FPGA-based platform ( 1000) Mid-cost/High-end FPGA-based platform ( 1000) High-cost/High-end FPGA-based platform ( 1500) High-cost/Ultra high-end FPGA-based platform ( 2500)
Faculty Staff Ph.D students M.Sc Students Undergrads