Optimization of Platforms for Industrial Applications
Work at the Department of System Design focuses on the design and implementation of complex embedded electronic systems. These activities are carried out in unity of hardware, software and communication components. Research activities are focussed on the trends of
- miniaturization,
- increasing complexity,
- networking,
- system integration and,
- increasing performance.
System integration of sensor technology in particular as a step towards making electronic functional units more intelligent, in connection with increasing networking tasks up to integrated communications, strikingly characterizes the environment we live in. The current rapid surge in applications of RFID technology, which in the broader sense provides special sensor signals and can thus easily be attributed to the context described, is to be considered another manifestation of this fact.
In the field of platform optimization for industrial applications, emphasis is put on the issues of hardware modelling and realization on various target platforms. These include, i.a., microprocessors, FPGAs, PLDs, complete PCB designs, or ASICs and are typically extended by operating systems such as embedded Linux, real-time Linux, or eCos.
Besides form factors, performance attributes such as boot times – inasmuch as embedded Linux is concerned, depending on the situation, down to values of 2.4s – are optimized as well.
In the area of real-time control systems, solutions for industrial communications are developed. The control of mechanic drive systems, for example, often is the primary focus in engineering such systems.
Emphasis is furthermore put on the use of the Open Source operating system eCos for deeply-embedded systems in the area of communication technology (GSM/GPRS technologies).
In the field of hardware-software co-design, a very modern approach to system description and subsequent partition into hardware and software is pursued. By means of up-to-date design tools and by using flexible synthesis tools, programmable hardware modules are designed in the fields of automation technology and industrial control systems.
