Advanced Microprocessor Research Articles

Development of Customized MIPS_32 Core Processor for Image Processing Applications

Definitely, image processing operations without advanced and expensive microprocessors consume more time, power, and larger programs. So, improving the reasonable cost of microprocessors is crucial in this situation. This paper proposes an improvement for the MIPS_32 architecture that is called a Customized MIPS_32 (CMIPS_32) to enhance the capabilities of image processing (IP) operations. The proposal aims to increase throughput by minimizing the iterative fetching of instructions required by a certain IP operation into a single customized IP instruction. The architecture of MIPS_32 was developed in two phases. Firstly, the Register File, control unit, and ALU are modified to manipulate the information related to the IP operations. Secondly, two new units, the address calculation unit and the last pixel detection unit, were proposed to determine a certain image's starting and ending addresses. Furthermore, the MIPS_32 pipeline is customized to have five to six stages depending on the intensity of operation required by a certain IP instruction to decrease the number of machine clocks and the power consumed. The proposal was implemented using the Zed-Board XC7Z020CLG484-1 FPGA. The results showed that the computation speedup increased by a factor equal to the number of standard instructions required to execute the same operation performed by one of the proposed IP instructions. The CMIPS_32 consumed less power than other models that were implemented on Spartan3-XC3S1500L, Virtex5-XC5VFX30T, Virtex6-XC6VLX75T, and Virtex6-Low-Power-XC6VLX75T by 0.0138W, 0.6468W, 1.31W, and 0.7898W, respectively. Comparing the power consumed by the proposal with the GPU proved that the CMIPS_32 consumes less than the NVIDIA-GPU-GTX980 by 63.8698W. Index Terms— FPGA, Image processing instructions, MIPS_32, Verilog.

A low-cost wireless extension for object detection and data logging for educational robotics using the ESP-NOW protocol.

In recent years, inexpensive and easy to use robotics platforms have been incorporated into middle school, high school, and college educational curricula and competitions all over the world. Students have access to advanced microprocessors and sensor systems that engage, educate, and encourage their creativity. In this study, the capabilities of the widely available VEX Robotics System are extended using the wireless ESP-NOW protocol to allow for real-time data logging and to extend the computational capabilities of the system. Specifically, this study presents an open source system that interfaces a VEX V5 microprocessor, an OpenMV camera, and a computer. Images from OpenMV are sent to a computer where object detection algorithms can be run and instructions sent to the VEX V5 microprocessor while system data and sensor readings are sent from the VEX V5 microprocessor to the computer. System performance was evaluated as a function of distance between transmitter and receiver, data packet round trip timing, and object detection using YoloV8. Three sample applications are detailed including the evaluation of a vision-based object sorting machine, a drivetrain trajectory analysis, and a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm tuning experiment. It was concluded that the system is well suited for real time object detection tasks and could play an important role in improving robotics education.

Multiagent System-Based Adaptive Numerical Relay Design and Development: Part I - Firmware

Protection relays that incorporate advanced microprocessors are vital to electrical grids, providing fast and reliable responses to faulty conditions using efficient communication protocols. Instant detection and response to various faults are essential to minimise the risk of damage. Numerical relays can identify faulty conditions and trigger circuit breakers to open, thus preventing further damage to the system. Due to the lack of autonomous decision-making capabilities, existing numerical relays require manual reconfiguration in situations such as a change in network configuration and protection settings. These relays also do not have the ability to coordinate fault clearance when multiple sources supply power to the grid. A comprehensive overview of the research aimed at developing a multiagent system (MAS)-based adaptive protection relay will be provided by dividing it into separate articles such as firmware and hardware. This first part delves into the firmware aspects of this innovative relay, highlighting its adaptive capabilities and key considerations in its development. The second part will provide detailed design descriptions for the hardware features of the relay. An STM32MPU multicore advanced microprocessor is utilised to design and develop the adaptive numerical relay firmware. It incorporates several protection relay ANSI codes, communication protocols, and MAS-based adaptive protection schemes as part of the firmware.

Real-time laser spot detection and tracking system based on parallel multi-target detection and determination algorithm.

Laser spot detection and tracking play a critical role in laser techniques. However, traditional detection and tracking systems tend to be bulky and lack portability. Therefore, there is a growing emphasis on developing high-performance and miniaturized systems based on the field programmable gate array (FPGA). In this paper, a novel parallel multi-target detection and determination algorithm is proposed to address the issue of current FPGA-based systems' ineffective detection of laser spots in complex environments. Our simulation results demonstrate that the algorithm can effectively detect laser spots in complex environments. It can process a frame with an 800 × 480 resolution in only 7.88ms at a 50MHz image processing frequency, which means it can process more than 100 f/s and meet the real-time detection requirements. Such excellent detection performance is challenging to achieve with central processing units and advanced RISC machine microprocessors. Then, the algorithm is further deployed on an FPGA to build a prototype laser spot detection and tracking system. Practical tests show that the system can achieve a spot detection accuracy of around 90% under different luminous intensities, indicating excellent robustness of the designed algorithm. Besides, with the use of a piezoelectric actuator, speedy and precise tracking of the laser spot is implemented. The characteristics of speedy response, self-latching in power off, and no electromagnetic interference of the piezoelectric actuator give the system tremendous advantages in developing high-precision wireless communication control technology, which further broadens the application of the proposed system.

Protean: Adaptive Hardware-Accelerated Intermittent Computing

Today's smart devices have short battery lifetimes, high installation and maintenance costs, and rapid obsolescence - all leading to the explosion of electronic waste in the past two decades. These problems will worsen as the number of connected devices grows to one trillion by 2035. Energy harvesting, battery-free devices offer an alternative. Getting rid of the battery reduces e-waste, promises long lifetimes, and enables deployment in new applications and environments. Unfortunately, developing sophisticated inference-capable applications is still challenging. The lack of platform support for advanced (32-bit) microprocessors and specialized accelerators, which can execute dataintensive machine-learning tasks, has held back batteryless devices.

RESEARCH OF STARTING MODES OF ASYNCHRONOUS MOTORS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SOFT START DEVICE

Study of starting modes of asynchronous electric motors. The growth of their demand in industry and everyday life requires an increase in the intensity of use of new systems of the industry existing in the agricultural sector. Currently, there is an aspiration to make the technological process the most automated, as well as to create the most functional and accessible equipment for an ordinary user to understand. Electric drives consume more than 60% of the produced electricity, increasing their energy efficiency is significantly achieved by switching from an unregulated asynchronous electric drive to a regulated one, which contributes to the improvement of the quality characteristics of technological processes, provides the opportunity to automate production, and increases the level of energy and resource conservation. Recently, systems of automated control of technological processes created on the basis of advanced microprocessor equipment have been actively developed, improved and implemented. Nowadays, the method of controlling the start of engines using a frequency converter is becoming more and more common. Until recently, the method of frequency regulation of the electric drive was considered expensive and was used only for a large range of speed regulation, but with the decrease in price and improvement of frequency converters, this control system becomes an almost ideal technical solution from the point of view of controlling the operation of the pump both in the start/stop period and in normal modes. Modernization of traditional control and start-up systems can become a frequency converter with an open software platform, which allows users to refine the software, optimize it for their tasks, including developing and adding their own software modules both at the power inverter control level and at the software-logic level controller for solving local automation tasks. The wide use of asynchronous motors is explained by their advantages compared to other motors: high reliability, ease of repair, small number of structural elements, the possibility of operation from an alternating current network, ease of maintenance. Various methods are used to solve the problems that appear during the uncontrolled start of an asynchronous motor, which to one degree or another ensure the acceleration of the asynchronous motor with a given value of current, which is significantly lower than with a direct (uncontrolled) start [1]. This makes it possible to prevent the premature failure of the asynchronous motor (AD) and driven mechanisms, to increase the resource of the switching equipment, to ensure the possibility of controlling the electric drive using modern automation tools. In addition, the use of modern controlled start-up allows you to reduce the active power consumption, significantly reduce the reactive power consumption, reduce the noise level, and reduce the vibration of the electric motor. The start of asynchronous short-circuited motors by direct connection to the network is usually accompanied by a large starting current, which exceeds the nominal value by several times.

Liquid film boiling enabled ultra-high conductance and high flux heat spreaders

Many of the advanced technologies, e.g., microprocessors, laser and radar, and power transmitters and amplifiers, are becoming increasingly dependent on the ability to dissipate the enormous amount of waste heat in extremely small areas. Two-phase heat spreaders utilizing the liquid-vapor phase change are appealing due to the high performance and potentially low cost. However, thin film evaporation is limited by the capillary dry-out of wicking structures. We demonstrate here an ultra-high thermal conductance and high flux heat spreader enabled by a capillary-driven liquid film boiling process on a hierarchical mesh wicking structure. By manipulating liquid wicking flow and vapor bubble escape, liquid film boiling is demonstrated to have a heat removal capability of 552 W/cm2 from an area of 25 mm2 with a temperature increase of less than 8 K, corresponding to a heat transfer coefficient of 732.5 kW/m2·K. The effective thermal conductivity of the 1-mm-thick two-phase heat spreader is larger than 104 W/m·K.

Design and Implementation of Enhanced Security Model for Wireless Sensor Network on ARM Processor

Due to the radio range of the network, suspicious transmission, unattended nature, and easier access, Wireless Sensor Networks are vulnerable to malicious users and physical attacks. Hence security is a must in these cases. A workable solution to these problems might be to create a WSN for a secure temperature sensing system. Sensors gather temperature measurements, which are then communicated to an advanced RISC microprocessor (ARM) using Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, which has been proven to transfer data accurately and reliably. The data is then stored in memory, controlled by the microprocessor. An ARM 9-based Samsung S3C2440 Controller running on the Linux operating system is used to achieve the functionality. The security system is incorporated using the host MCUs, and the temperature values are converted to digital form using the ARM processor’s ADC (S3C2440). The processor is connected to the console terminal through UART, which regularly sends data to the system. Security data is monitored and transferred to other Wi-Fi-equipped devices through a USB-based Wi-Fi module. The temperature readings are continuously monitored via this wireless sensor network. We perform the validation of our study through MATLAB simulations. We measure the sensor nodes’ total energy dissipated, throughput, and lifetime through MATLAB simulations. Over all in this research, we develop improved security in WSN system with application in ARM controller-based secured temperature monitoring system. This paper paves a direction toward further research in physical security in Wireless Sensor Networks.

The study on the effect of voltage ripple on multiphase buck converters with phase shedding control scheme for SCADA applications

Voltage regulator modules (VRM) need to have low output voltage ripple and tight efficiency to power advanced microprocessors. This paper explains a phase shedding technique to enhance efficiency and its impact on output voltage ripple. In this study, analysis was done on a 4-phase buck converter which is having an input voltage of 45-65 V and delivers an output of 9 V, 12A with a switching frequency of 200Khz. The phase shedding control scheme is suitable for applications such as power sources for programmable logic controllers, which is a part of SCADA systems, which requires a low voltage and high current power supply. Working of a multiphase buck converter with phase shedding is modelled and verified using Matlab/Simulink software. The simulation results show the effect of the phase shedding technique on efficiency in varying load conditions and the effect of an increase of the voltage ripple at the output.

Advanced microprocessor optimization methods for the Internet of Things

Advanced microprocessor optimization methods for the Internet of Things

Comparison of mainstream (Capnostat 5) and two low-flow sidestream capnometers (VM-2500-S and Capnostream) in spontaneously breathing rabbits anesthetized with a Bain coaxial breathing system

ObjectiveTo evaluate agreement with PaCO2 of two low sampling rate sidestream capnometers and a mainstream capnometer in rabbits and the effect of using high fresh gas flow from a Bain coaxial breathing system. Study designProspective, crossover study. AnimalsA total of 10 New Zealand White rabbits weighing 3.4 ± 0.3 kg [mean ± standard deviation (SD)]. MethodsTwo sidestream analyzers (Viamed VM-2500-S and Capnostream 35) with a sampling rate of 50 mL minute–1 and a mainstream capnometer (Capnostat 5) were tested. All capnometers used infrared spectroscopy and advanced microprocessor technology. Rabbits were anesthetized and intubated with noncuffed endotracheal tubes of 3 mm internal diameter and adequate seal. A sidestream sampling adapter or the mainstream capnometer was attached to the endotracheal tube and connected to a Bain coaxial breathing system. Oxygen (1.5 L minute–1) delivered sevoflurane to maintain anesthesia. An auricular artery catheter allowed blood sampling for PaCO2 analysis corrected to rectal temperature. Inspired and end-tidal carbon dioxide (Pe′CO2) measurements were recorded during blood sample withdrawal. From each rabbit, 10 paired PaCO2/Pe′CO2 measurements were obtained. Each rabbit was recovered from anesthesia and was anesthetized again with an alternate capnometer after 1 week. Data were analyzed using Bland–Altman and two-way anova for repeated measures. ResultsAnalysis included 100 paired samples. Negative bias reflects underestimation of PaCO2. Bland–Altman mean (±1.95 SD) was –16.7 (–35.2 to 1.8) mmHg for Capnostat 5, –27.9 (–48.6 to –7.2) mmHg for Viamed, and –18.1 (–34.3 to –1.9) mmHg for Capnostream. Viamed PaCO2–Pe′CO2 gradient was greater than other two capnometers. ConclusionsAll three capnometers underestimated PaCO2. Capnostat 5 and Capnostream performed similarly. Clinical relevanceThese capnometers underestimated PaCO2 in spontaneously breathing rabbits anesthetized using a Bain coaxial breathing system with high fresh gas flows.

Experimental Investigation on Heat Spreader Integrated Microchannel Using Graphene Oxide Nanofluid

Thermal design consideration is highly essential for efficient heat dissipation in advanced microprocessors which are subjected to conjugate heat transfer under high heat flux with a minimal area for cooling. Generally, these multicore processors develop a localized high density heat flux referred to as hotspot. The effective use of microchannel in order to mitigate the hotspot is found in literature; however, the flow induced hotspot still exist due to maldistribution of flow inside the microchannel. Henceforth, the present study provides an experimental insight on laminar forced convection in a parallel microchannel heat sink accompanied with 1.2 mm thin copper heat spreader with a surface area of 30 mm2 to effectively migrate the maldistribution flow induced hot spot. The present experimental study provides a profound insight about the hotspot and migration of hotspot to safe zones; as a result, not only the performance of the multi core microprocessor is highly improved but also the reliability of neighboring components is well secured.

Supervisory Control ECU

A new EV supervisory control ECU is now available for 24V systems, offering customizable I/O, advanced microprocessors, safety-oriented architecture and a user-friendly interface

INFLUENCE OF FALLS REDUCTION ON THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVANCED HYDRAULIC MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED KNEE PROTHESES IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH LOWER LIMB AMPUTATIONS

INTRODUCTION
 The assessment of cost-effectiveness and the use of health economical methods becomes of increasing importance when evaluating the impact of modern medical technology. The cost effectiveness of advanced hydraulic microprocessor controlled knees (MPKs) had recently by shown by RAND 1. A new generation of advanced hydraulic microprocessor controlled knee (MPK) components became available to address specifically the needs of elderly individuals The reduction of concomitant factors such as falls may significantly improve cost-effectiveness.
 Abstract PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/32041/24455
 How to cite: Krüger H, Hahn A, Kuhlmann A. INFLUENCE OF FALLS REDUCTION ON THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVANCED HYDRAULIC MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED KNEE PROTHESES IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH LOWER LIMB AMPUTATIONS. CANADIAN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS JOURNAL, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2, 2018; ABSTRACT, ORAL PRESENTATION AT THE AOPA’S 101ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SEPT. 26-29, VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v1i2.32041 
 Abstracts were Peer-reviewed by the American Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) 101st National Assembly Scientific Committee. 
 http://www.aopanet.org/

Mirce-mechanics approach to the analysis of the cosmic radiation impact on aviation reliability

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the necessity of addressing all physical causes that lead to the transition of maintainable systems from positive to negative functionability state during their lives. Addressing the reliability characteristics of components and systems in isolation from the analysis of the impact of the natural environment on is not sufficient. Hence, results of the research performed in accordance with the Mirce-mechanics principles have shown the significant impact of cosmic radiation on the in-service behaviour of aviation systems. Due to the rapid advances in electronics technology and the unrelenting demand for increased avionics functionality, the complexity of avionics systems has risen exponentially. Hence, ever more advanced microprocessor and memory semiconductor devices are being used that exhibit an increased susceptibility to cosmic radiation phenomena. Single event effects have been the primary radiation concern for avionics since the late 1980’s when the phenomenon, which had previously only been observed in orbiting satellites, also began to appear in aircraft electronic systems. The trend with each new generation of avionics system is to use increasing quantities of semiconductor memories and other complex devices that are susceptible to decreases in reliability due to ionising radiation from the cosmic rays from space and alpha particles from radioactive impurities in the device itself. The interaction of this radiation can result in either a transient “soft error” effect such as a bit flip in memory or a voltage transient in logic, alternatively a “hard error” can be induced resulting in permanent damage such as the burnout of a transistor. Thus, this paper concludes that Mirce-mechanics approach to reliability is the only way forward for all members of the reliability community who wish to develop a method for accurate predictions of reliability, cost and effectiveness of aviation systems at early design stages, rather than to measure their in-service values and produce end of life statistics.

Case Series of Wounded Warriors Receiving Initial Fit PowerKnee™ Prosthesis

ABSTRACT Introduction Combat-related lower-limb amputations challenge prosthetic device prescription and rehabilitation practices. Moreover, wounded warriors are relatively young and lived highly active lifestyles before injury, underscoring their eagerness to quickly regain independent mobility and higher levels of physical function. Methods Four US military service members with combat-related unilateral amputation were fit with the PowerKnee™ as their initial prosthesis. Results All patients achieved significant mobility milestones more rapidly than historical norms of similarly injured patients using other prosthetic knees. Level-ground gait analysis of each patient was comparable with historical normative data of patients using advanced microprocessor variable dampening knee (MPK) prostheses, although the PowerKnee users generated less power in their intact limb hip and knee, suggesting less strain on intact joints. Each patient was also subsequently fit with an MPK and offered a hydraulic knee prosthesis for higher-level activities. Two of the four patients ultimately chose an alternative prosthesis as their primary knee, citing weight, ability to run, and battery life as key determinants. All patients, however, perceived the PowerKnee prosthesis to be valuable during their rehabilitation. Conclusion: The PowerKnee may be a viable option for the initial prosthetic fitting of individuals with transfemoral amputation. Further research is necessary to better understand the advantages or disadvantages of powered prosthetic technology, including their biomechanical effects on intact limbs, especially for high-level activities, and their ability to enhance early rehabilitation and optimal patient selection and timing of fitting.

Ultra-Low Power, Highly Reliable, and Nonvolatile Hybrid MTJ/CMOS Based Full-Adder for Future VLSI Design

Very large-scale integrated circuit design, based on today’s CMOS technologies, are facing various challenges. Shrinking transistor dimensions, reduction in threshold voltage, and lowering power supply voltage, cause new concerns such as high leakage current, and increase in radiation sensitivity. As a solution for such design challenges, hybrid MTJ/CMOS based design can resolve the issue of leakage power and bring the advantage of nonvolatility. However, radiation-induced soft error is still an issue in such new designs as they need peripheral CMOS components. As a result, these magnetic-based circuits are still susceptive to radiation effects. This paper proposes a radiation hardened and low power magnetic full-adder (MFA) for advanced microprocessors. Comparing with the previous work, the proposed MFA is capable of tolerating any particle strike regardless of the induced charge. Besides, our MFA circuit offers a lower energy consumption in write operation as compared with previous counterparts. We also suggest an incremental modification to the proposed MFA circuit to give it the advantage of full nonvolatility for future nonvolatile microprocessors.

Универсальная информационно-измерительная система для исследования магнитных свойств ферромагнитных сталей

The article deals with information-measuring system of magnetic noise control stress with the use 3D scanner and advanced microprocessor technology. A block diagram of the device magnetic noise control from signals of Barkhausen jumps and how it works. The possibilities of the system under the control of physical and mechanical properties of steels, for example, measurement plane stress.

Design of micropillar wicks for thin-film evaporation

The generation of concentrated heat loads in advanced microprocessors, GaN electronics, and solar cells present significant thermal management challenges in defense, space and commercial applications. Liquid to vapor phase-change strategies are promising due to the high latent heat of vaporization of the working fluid. In particular, thin-film evaporation has received increased interest owing to advances in micro/nanofabrication and the potential to dissipate high heat fluxes by increasing the evaporative meniscus area. Yet, predictive tools to design various wicking structures are limited due to the complexity of the thermal–fluidic transport. In this work, we performed systematic experiments to characterize capillary-limited thin-film evaporation from silicon micropillar wicks in the absence of nucleate boiling. The insights gained from experiments were used to model the capillary pressure, permeability, and thermal resistance. Accordingly, we developed a semi-analytical model to determine the capillary-limited dryout heat flux and wall temperature with ±20% accuracy, compared to our experiments. The model provides a versatile platform to design and optimize micropillar wicks for next generation thermal management devices.

On-line motor condition monitoring system for abnormality detection

An economical and portable on-line motor condition monitoring system based on an advanced microprocessor with a graphic user interface for abnormality detection is described. Both electrical and vibrational signal analysis for fault detection of motors were applied. A Cortex-M4 microcontroller and its built-in high speed analog-to-digital converter were used to process the on-line voltage, current, and vibration signals of the motors during operation. The acquired signals were digitally filtered through an infinite impulse filter and then, fast Fourier transform for spectral analysis was applied for abnormal pattern recognition. The analytic results were displayed in real time on an embedded touch-screen monitor to instantly provide users with the motor's operational conditions. Finally, a prototype was devised and verified through onsite experimentation. Comparing the results to commercial tools showed similar spectral characteristics; the difference for electrical and vibration signals was less than 10%. Thus, the system proposed shows promising ability and feasibility for online use.