Netherlands: PhD at Electronic Systems group at the TU/e

Deadline: 14 April 2013

Electronic Systems group at the TU/e

The Electronic Systems (ES) group is comprised of four full professors, two part-time full professors, two associate professors, three assistant professors, three post-docs, about 30 PhD candidates, and several technical and support staff.

Research

The ES group is world-renowned for its design automation and embedded systems research. It is our ambition to provide a scientific basis for design trajectories of digital electronic circuits and embedded systems. Highlights relevant to the PhD include:

-        computational modelling & model-driven design flows: dataflow analysis, scenario-aware dataflow, Pareto algebra, design-space exploration, multiprocessor mapping, schedule synthesis, software synthesis, high-level and logic synthesis;

-        parallel & multiprocessor architectures: application-specific multiprocessors, SIMD & VLIW architectures, GPUs, real-time networks on chip, memory controllers, and SOCs;

-        system-level design solutions: real-time systems, virtualization, mixed-criticality applications, adaptivity for energy, power, variability, and thermal constraints, system scenarios.

Our research results in tools and platforms such as SDF3, MAMPS, CompSOC, and DRAMPower. The ES group has been very successful in attracting funding for its research through national and international projects and collaborations.

Infrastructure

The ES group has excellent infrastructure that includes individual computers, compute servers, state-of-the-art FPGA and GPU farms, sensor- and ad-hoc networking equipment, and a comprehensive range of electronic-design software.

Research topic

The research of both positions will be in the field of mixed-time-critical real-time embedded systems, in the form of the CompSOC platform that includes

• hardware: multiple processors, network on chip (Aethereal), memory controllers (Predator);
• embedded software: microkernel / real-time operating system, streaming-data frameworks, resource-management middleware, power management software;
• applications, such as QoS-scalable (M)JPEG, H263/4, picture in picture, etc.;
• analysis methods, specifically (scenario-aware) dataflow;
• comprehensive tooling and design flow, to automatically generate hardware & software that is mapped, compiled, loaded, and executed on FPGA.

In particular, virtual execution platforms provide each application with its own programming model, scheduling, power management, with real-time performance. Seewww.compsoc.eu for more information on the CompSOC platform and design flow.

Specifically, the research will involve middleware for heterogeneous multi-resource real-time power management for scalable applications and/or modelling non-functional properties (timing, power, etc.) of virtual execution platforms for our real-time design flow.

Prerequisites/requirements

We are looking for excellent candidates who meet the following requirements: 

• A MSc or equivalent with excellent grades in electrical engineering, computer engineering or computer science from a leading university.
• You must be motivated and eager to push the state of the art, and show your research results with working demonstrators and publications in top conferences and journals.
• A team player willing to work in a multidisciplinary multicultural team.
• Affinity with the research profile of the Electronic System group.
• Good communication skills.
• Excellent English language skills (writing, presenting, teaching).
• Familiarity with computer architecture and real-time systems is required, and practical experience of C/C++ programming and hardware design using VHDL is recommended. Experience with designing for and using FPGAs is an advantage.

Application procedure

 Cover letter, including availability (starting date), statement of research interests.

- Curriculum vitae, including full education and employment histories, publication record, proof of proficiency in English, any teaching experience, and the names of at least three references that can be contacted.
- List of BSc, MSc, and other courses followed with grades and rankings (where available).
- If applicable, up to two selected publications.

Please keep in mind; you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each!

Further information

For further information regarding these vacancies please consult our web pages (http://www.es.ele.tue.nl and www.compsoc.eu) or contact: Prof. K.G.W. Goossens (k.g.w.goossens@tue.nl).