Software Running Research Articles

Understanding the Link Between Complex Digital Devices Soft Error Rate and the Running Software

Understanding the Link Between Complex Digital Devices Soft Error Rate and the Running Software

Forming rocky exoplanets around K-dwarf stars

Context. New space telescopes, such as the upcoming PLATO mission, aim to detect and study thousands of exoplanets, especially terrestrial planets around main-sequence stars. This motivates us to study how these planets formed. How multiple close-in super-Earths form around stars with masses lower than that of the Sun is still an open issue. Several recent modeling studies have focused on planet formation around M-dwarf stars, but so far no studies have focused specifically on K dwarfs, which are of particular interest in the search for extraterrestrial life. Aims. We aim to reproduce the currently known population of close-in super-Earths observed around K-dwarf stars and their system characteristics. Additionally, we investigate whether the planetary systems that we form allow us to decide which initial conditions are the most favorable. Methods. We performed 48 high-resolution N-body simulations of planet formation via planetesimal accretion using the existing GENGA software running on GPUs. In the simulations we varied the initial protoplanetary disk mass and the solid and gas surface density profiles. Each simulation began with 12 000 bodies with radii of between 200 and 2000 km around two different stars, with masses of 0.6 and 0.8 M⊙. Most simulations ran for 20 Myr, with several simulations extended to 40 or 100 Myr. Results. The mass distributions for the planets with masses between 2 and 12 M⊕ show a strong preference for planets with masses Mp < 6 M⊕ and a lesser preference for planets with larger masses, whereas the mass distribution for the observed sample increases almost linearly. However, we managed to reproduce the main characteristics and architectures of the known planetary systems and produce mostly long-term angular-momentum-deficit-stable, nonresonant systems, but we require an initial disk mass of 15 M⊕ or higher and a gas surface density value at 1 AU of 1500 g cm−2 or higher. Our simulations also produce many low-mass planets with M < 2 M⊕, which are not yet found in the observed population, probably due to the observational biases. Earth-mass planets form quickly (usually within a few million years), mostly before the gas disk dispersal. The final systems contain only a small number of planets with masses Mp > 10 M⊕, which could possibly accrete substantial amounts of gas, and these formed after the gas had mostly dissipated. Conclusions. We mostly manage to reproduce observed K-dwarf exoplanetary systems from our GPU simulations.

Risk management framework in Agile software development methodology

In software projects that use the Agile methodology, the focus is on development in small iterations to allow both frequent changes and client involvement. This methodology affects the risks that may happen in Agile software projects. Hence, these projects need a clear risk management process to reduce risks and address the problems before they arise. Most software production methodologies must use a framework for risk management, but currently, there is no such framework for the Agile methodology. Therefore, we present a risk management framework for projects that use the Agile methodology to help the software development process and increase the likelihood of the project’s success. The proposed framework states the necessary measures for risk management according to the ISO31000 standard at each stage of the Agile methodology. We evaluated the proposed framework in two running software projects with an Agile methodology by a number of expert experts. The results show that using our proposed framework increases the average positive risk reaction score by 49%.

Towards neuromorphic FPGA-based infrastructures for a robotic arm

Muscles are stretched with bursts of spikes that come from motor neurons connected to the cerebellum through the spinal cord. Then, alpha motor neurons directly innervate the muscles to complete the motor command coming from upper biological structures. Nevertheless, classical robotic systems usually require complex computational capabilities and relative high-power consumption to process their control algorithm, which requires information from the robot’s proprioceptive sensors. The way in which the information is encoded and transmitted is an important difference between biological systems and robotic machines. Neuromorphic engineering mimics these behaviors found in biology into engineering solutions to produce more efficient systems and for a better understanding of neural systems. This paper presents the application of a Spike-based Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller to a 6-DoF Scorbot ER-VII robotic arm, feeding the motors with Pulse-Frequency-Modulation instead of Pulse-Width-Modulation, mimicking the way in which motor neurons act over muscles. The presented frameworks allow the robot to be commanded and monitored locally or remotely from both a Python software running on a computer or from a spike-based neuromorphic hardware. Multi-FPGA and single-PSoC solutions are compared. These frameworks are intended for experimental use of the neuromorphic community as a testbed platform and for dataset recording for machine learning purposes.

Improving trace synthesis by utilizing computer vision for user action emulation

Forensic analyses are performed by skilled forensic practitioners who require reliable, state-of-the-art tooling and ongoing training. To provide both, education and academia rely on realistic training datasets. Those datasets are crucial to teaching investigators, validating forensic tools, advancing algorithms, and pursuing research. At the same time, the forensic community faces a shortcoming of realistic datasets, mainly due to ethical and legal reasons. To overcome this challenge, prior work introduced several frameworks aiming to create unproblematic replications of real evidence. Those frameworks generate synthetic datasets by populating disk images with traces of emulated user behavior. However, it is general consent that existing frameworks have some drawbacks concerning the quality of generated datasets, particularly due to the incorporation of unrealistic traces in GUI-based environments. Reviewing the implementation details of common frameworks, we found that current solutions miss realistic trace synthesis, reducing the quality and usefulness of synthesized datasets.By leveraging computer vision, this paper introduces a novel approach aiming to enhance the quality of synthetic datasets. We propose an architecture and provide an open-source implementation utilizing a hypervisor for creating Human Interface Device (HID) input, which is controlled by computer vision algorithms to imitate human-like user actions. In this way, we provide external GUI automation capabilities that enable more realistic trace synthesis than existing solutions and open up the applicability to a wide range of GUI-based operating systems. In contrast to previous research results, our approach is independent of software running in virtual machines, further optimizing the quality of generated datasets by omitting automation artifacts. Our experiments indicate that using external GUI automation for user action emulation results in a greater amount and a more widespread distribution of traces. Therefore our approach may refine the quality of datasets in this field.

EAR: An Edge-Assisted and Energy-Efficient Mobile Augmented Reality Framework

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) apps may cause short battery life due to high-quality virtual objects rendered in the augmented environment. Given the limited ability of the human eye to recognize small details at larger distances, using (lower-quality) decimated virtual objects with a lower triangle count can still provide high user experience but at lower energy consumption. Current state-of-the-art solutions may impose a high burden on the MAR app developer, limited energy savings, and high storage overhead. In this paper, we propose eAR, an edge-assisted autonomous and energy-efficient framework for MAR apps designed to solve the limitations of state-of-the-art solutions. eAR features an offline software running on an edge server that uses Image Quality Assessment (IQA) to model user-perceived quality for each virtual object in terms of triangle count and user-object distance without requiring any effort from the MAR developer. In addition, eAR features a runtime lightweight optimization algorithm that minimizes storage overhead by dynamically deciding the most energy-efficient virtual object decimation ratios to request from the edge server. Our results show that eAR can help reduce energy consumption by up to 16.5% while reducing storage overhead by almost 60% compared to existing schemes, with minimal impact on user-perceived quality.

Streaming DAQ Software Prototype at the J-PARC Hadron Experimental Facility

In recent years, experiments in particle physics and nuclear physics have required faster data collection systems and advanced trigger systems as the beam intensity has been increased. The current data acquisition (DAQ) system at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) Hadron Experimental Facility (HEF) uses fixed- and low-latency triggers with dedicated hardware to reduce data and event-building software that merges data into a single endpoint. This conventional DAQ system is expected to be inadequate for future experiments. It has to be replaced with a new simplified but powerful system called streaming DAQ, which collects the detector signals and filters them with software running on many computers. Therefore, we developed a prototype of streaming DAQ software for the J-PARC HEF using FairMQ and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Redis</i> as middleware. The key features include simplicity and a low learning cost to develop and be operated by a small number of people. The software can be used in a fully streaming readout system and in the triggered DAQ and the combined DAQ of the hardware and software triggers.

Commissioning and Operation of the Upgraded Belle II DAQ System With PCI-Express-Based High-Speed Readout

The Belle II experiment and the SuperKEKB collider are designed to operate under a higher luminosity compared to that of Belle for the improvement on rare <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">B</i> meson decay study and new physics search. In order to break the bottleneck of bandwidth and to improve the stability in the operation of the Belle II Data Acquisition (DAQ) system, a new PCI-Express-based readout system has been developed. The new system includes a PCI-Express-based high-speed readout board (PCIe40), which was originally developed for the upgrades of the LHCb and ALICE experiments, the PCIe40 firmware, the slow control and readout software running on a readout PC. The new readout system’s commissioning with most of the Belle II sub-detectors has been performed, and the readout upgrade is complete for the particle-identification detectors and the neutral kaon and muon detector in Belle II, which has been operating stably with the new system in the beam collision “Physics runs”. The results of the commissioning and the performance of the global DAQ operation will be reported.

On-Board Computer and Testing Platform for CubeSat Development

The design and development of a CubeSat testing platform built from scratch is the focus of this work. The investigation was conducted as part of the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP), initiative conducted by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to support the development of 15 CubeSats across Canada. In this paper, a particular emphasis is placed on three key subsystems: an On-Board Computer (OBC), a GNSS based payload, and a communication board, all connected together through a FlatSat board. The Mission software running on an STM32-microcontroller-based OBC is responsible for managing all CubeSat activities. The OBC was designed to meet a range of requirements, including mechanical, electrical, and thermal requirements. Indeed, due to the intense heat and radiation that the CubeSat will be exposed to in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the CubeSat may experience many difficulties, potentially leading to mission failure. The risk-reduction techniques used in the design of the OBC will be discussed in detail. The tests performed on the developed OBC were successful, including an initial power test and a vacuum test, where the microcontroller entered low-power mode for a total of 10 seconds, consuming only 0.0528 W of power.

When Criminals Abuse the Blockchain: Establishing Personal Jurisdiction in a Decentralised Environment

In August of 2022, the United States Department of Treasury sanctioned the virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, an open-source and fully decentralised piece of software running on the Ethereum blockchain, subsequently leading to the arrest of one of its developers in the Netherlands. Not only was this the first time the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) extended its authority to sanction a foreign ‘person’ to software, but the decentralised nature of the software and global usage highlight the challenge of establishing jurisdiction over decentralised software and its global user base. The government claims jurisdiction over citizens, residents, and any assets that pass through the country’s territory. As a global financial center with most large tech companies, this often facilitates the establishment of jurisdiction over global conduct that passes through US servers. However, decentralised programs on blockchains with nodes located around the world challenge this traditional approach as either nearly all countries can claim jurisdiction over users, subjecting users to criminal laws in countries with which they have no true interaction, or they limit jurisdiction, thereby risking abuse by bad actors. This article takes a comparative approach to examine the challenges to establishing criminal jurisdiction on cryptocurrency-related crimes.

AWRO mobile robot: Aid for water rescue operations

AWRO Mobile Robot: Aid for Water Rescue Operations, is a mobile robot that takes the appearance of a watercraft, which helps a lifeguard rescue a drowning person in deep swimming pools. AWRO is short for “Aid for Water Rescue Operations”. The mobile robot detects the drowning person by determining the splashing patterns of the person, which can be seen in the output image taken from an onboard camera. The system makes use of a PIC18F242 microcontroller to control the vehicle’s functions and movements. Also, communication between the PC and mobile robot is done through the use of serial communication. The control program of the mobile robot is implemented using several modules: the PIC microcontroller code, the main PC software running on top of the .NET framework, and the RoboRealm image processing software. With this, more lives can be saved, since it will be able to reach people who are drowning in areas where humans cannot normally reach. Test results show that the proposed robot can efficiently act as a rescue robot and can be further enhanced using some more advanced additive features.

CL-MMAD: A Contrastive Learning Based Multimodal Software Runtime Anomaly Detection Method

Software plays a critical role in the infrastructure of modern society. Due to the increasing complexity, it suffers runtime reliability issues. Online anomaly detection can detect partial failures within the program based on manifestations exhibited internally or externally before serious failures occur in the software system, thus enabling timely intervention by operation and maintenance staff to avoid serious losses. This paper introduces CL-MMAD, a novel anomaly detection method based on contrastive learning using multimodal data sources. CL-MMAD uses ResNet-18 to learn the comprehensive feature spaces of software running status. MSE loss is used as the objective to guide the training process and is taken as the anomaly score. Empirical results highlight the superiority of MSE loss over InfoNCE loss and demonstrate CL-MMAD’s effectiveness in detecting both functional failures and performance issues, with a greater ability to detect the latter.

Quickening Data-Aware Conformance Checking through Temporal Algebras

A temporal model describes processes as a sequence of observable events characterised by distinguishable actions in time. Conformance checking allows these models to determine whether any sequence of temporally ordered and fully-observable events complies with their prescriptions. The latter aspect leads to Explainable and Trustworthy AI, as we can immediately assess the flaws in the recorded behaviours while suggesting any possible way to amend the wrongdoings. Recent findings on conformance checking and temporal learning lead to an interest in temporal models beyond the usual business process management community, thus including other domain areas such as Cyber Security, Industry 4.0, and e-Health. As current technologies for accessing this are purely formal and not ready for the real world returning large data volumes, the need to improve existing conformance checking and temporal model mining algorithms to make Explainable and Trustworthy AI more efficient and competitive is increasingly pressing. To effectively meet such demands, this paper offers KnoBAB, a novel business process management system for efficient Conformance Checking computations performed on top of a customised relational model. This architecture was implemented from scratch after following common practices in the design of relational database management systems. After defining our proposed temporal algebra for temporal queries (xtLTLf), we show that this can express existing temporal languages over finite and non-empty traces such as LTLf. This paper also proposes a parallelisation strategy for such queries, thus reducing conformance checking into an embarrassingly parallel problem leading to super-linear speed up. This paper also presents how a single xtLTLf operator (or even entire sub-expressions) might be efficiently implemented via different algorithms, thus paving the way to future algorithmic improvements. Finally, our benchmarks highlight that our proposed implementation of xtLTLf (KnoBAB) outperforms state-of-the-art conformance checking software running on LTLf logic.

An Open-Source Virtual Reality System for the Measurement of Spatial Learning in Head-Restrained Mice.

Head-restrained behavioral experiments in mice allow neuroscientists to observe neural circuit activity with high-resolution electrophysiological and optical imaging tools while delivering precise sensory stimuli to a behaving animal. Recently, human and rodent studies using virtual reality (VR) environments have shown VR to be an important tool for uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying spatial learning in the hippocampus and cortex, due to the extremely precise control over parameters such as spatial and contextual cues. Setting up virtual environments for rodent spatial behaviors can, however, be costly and require an extensive background in engineering and computer programming. Here, we present a simple yet powerful system based upon inexpensive, modular, open-source hardware and software that enables researchers to study spatial learning in head-restrained mice using a VR environment. This system uses coupled microcontrollers to measure locomotion and deliver behavioral stimuli while head-restrained mice run on a wheel in concert with a virtual linear track environment rendered by a graphical software package running on a single-board computer. The emphasis on distributed processing allows researchers to design flexible, modular systems to elicit and measure complex spatial behaviors in mice in order to determine the connection between neural circuit activity and spatial learning in the mammalian brain.

Highly Concurrent TCP Session Connection Management System on FPGA Chip

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a connection-oriented data transmission protocol, and it is also the main communication protocol used for end-to-end data transmission in the current Internet. At present, the mainstream TCP protocol processing service is implemented by software running on the Central Processing Unit (CPU). However, with the rapid growth of transmission bandwidth and the number of connections, the software-based processing method is not ideal in terms of delay and throughput, and also affects the processing performance of the CPU in other applications such as virtualization services. Moreover, other hardware solutions can only support a limited number of TCP session connections. In order to improve the processing efficiency of the TCP protocol and achieve highly concurrent network services, this paper proposes a TCP offload engine (TOE) prototype system based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) chips. It not only provides hardware-based data path processing, but also realizes hardware management of large-scale TCP session connection status through a multi-level cache management mechanism. Studies have shown that this solution can support 100 Gbps high-performance throughput characteristics, and allow concurrent processing of hundreds to 250,000 TCP connection state hardware maintenance on a single network node, improving the overall performance of the network system.

Autonomous control of a prototype solar‐powered offshore autonomous underwater vehicle servicing platform via a low‐cost embedded architecture

AbstractThis paper describes the design, implementation, and field‐testing of a low‐cost autonomous control system on the Platform for Expanding Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) exploRation to Longer ranges (PEARL). PEARL is a floating, solar‐powered platform designed as a servicing station for AUVs. This paper describes the field testing of a prototype system currently without the ability to dock and recharge AUVs. In this prototype, autonomous operations are realized through the open‐source MOOS‐IvP marine robotics software running on an embedded architecture including a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, Arduino microcontroller, and onboard inertial measurement unit and GPS sensors. A solar charge controller monitors energy system statistics in real‐time. Field tests included station‐keeping and waypoint missions in a freshwater pond in Orleans, MA. An RMS tracking error of 0.9–2.2 m was achieved during waypoint pattern executions, with an average battery usage of 13% per hour. Net power consumption rate will change due to variations in currents and winds, as well as variations in solar irradiance. The implementation of an autonomous sun‐tracking mode to maximize solar panel flux while station‐keeping is also evaluated. The field testing results will inform the design of a full‐scale PEARL capable of docking with AUVs. This research helps pave the way for autonomous solar‐powered service stations in the ocean that can connect the underwater world with space.

ModMag: A modular magnetic micro-robotic manipulation device

Electromagnetic systems have been used extensively for the control of magnetically actuated objects, such as in microrheology and micro- robotics research. Therefore, optimizing the design of such systems is highly desirable. Some of the features that are lacking in most cur- rent designs are compactness, portability, and versatility. Portability is especially relevant for biomedical applications in which in vivo or in vitro testing may be conducted in locations away from the laboratory microscope. This document describes the design, fabrication, and imple- mentation of a compact, low-cost, versatile, and user-friendly device (the ModMag) capable of controlling multiple electromagnetic setups, includ- ing a two-dimensional 4-coil configuration, a 3-dimensional Helmholtz configuration, a 2-dimensional magnetic tweezer configuration, and a piezoelectric transducer for producing acoustic waves. All electronics for powering the systems are contained in a compact 10″x6”x3” case, which includes a 10″ touchscreen. A graphical user interface provides additional ease of use. The system can also be controlled remotely, allowing for more flexibility and the ability to interface with other software running on the remote computer such as proprietary camera software. Aside from the software and circuitry, we also describe the design of the electromagnetic coil setups and provide examples of the use of the ModMag in experiments.•Low cost and portable magnetic micro-robot manipulation device•Compatible with the 3 most common coil configurations (traditional, Helmholtz, tweezer)

Evacuation Path of Patients with Infectious Disease based on Three Algorithms

With the global spread and deterioration of the coronavirus and monkeypox viruses, how to prevent the spread of infectious viruses in large public enclosed spaces has become a focus of public attention. This paper examined the distinctions between the evacuation of patients with infectious diseases and the evacuation of people in general disaster situations, using the outpatient center of a large hospital in China as the background. The three aspects of a new systematic method that is outlined in-depth step by step for solving this special patient evacuation problem are building the architectural space grid model, determining the objective function, and obtaining and comparing the optimization method. The shortest path is determined as the objective function, and three algorithms, namely the improved genetic algorithm, the traditional ant colony algorithm, and the Dijkstra algorithm, are used to optimize the path. While considering the number of people affected in the evacuation process, and together with the software running time as performance indexes, the results obtained from the three algorithms are evaluated, which shows that the patient evacuation path by Dijkstra’s algorithm is better. This study is of great relevance to hospitals, which gather more groups with low resistance and a higher possibility of virus infection, and it is also applicable to other large public places.

Evaluation on Software Performance Optimization Based on Multi-objective Optimization Algorithms

The tasks undertaken by software in various tasks include precise positioning of computational targets, utilization of hardware resources, and so on. Therefore, updating software performance is an essential and important step. However, currently, software iteration in computers is not smooth sailing. Therefore, this article aimed to study the problem of software performance optimization through the direction of objective optimization algorithms. This article used the method of evaluating parameter optimization results to conclude that multi-objective optimization algorithms have stronger computational power in models in other fields. The optimization results of the target software are statistically analyzed through web log mining, and the Chebyshev method is also used to decompose one of the classic multi-objective algorithms, MOEA/D. Finally, the optimization approach was divided into two types: multi-objective optimization algorithm and single objective optimization algorithm. Two other computers with identical configurations were selected to use these two algorithms for experiments. The multi-objective optimization algorithm was set as the experimental group, while the single objective optimization algorithm was set as the control group. After performing several software optimization operations, the results showed that the software performance optimization operation based on the multi-objective optimization algorithm improved the software running speed much higher than the control group executing the single objective optimization algorithm. The final conclusion is that in the research of software performance optimization, MOEA/D in multi-objective optimization algorithms not only defeats single objective optimization algorithms, but also is a highly efficient means in itself.

Árcade: Metodología para el desarrollo de videojuegos en cursos de ingenierías

This paper describes a methodological proposal for the design and development of videogames, which can be used by students with skills in computer programming; although they do not have outstanding artistic abilities. For its elaboration, three comparative studies on videogame development methodologies were taken as a basis. The methodology developed was applied in an elective course in systems engineering at an institution of higher education, during four semester academic periods since 2016. A total of 87 students passed through the course and resulted in the development of 48 video games. This methodology was specially designed so that it could be used in engineering courses in which the development of an acceptable video game in its first version is expected or, at least, with the quality of software running with the essential functions. In such a way that the methodology allows the design and development of video games in a short time, taking into account limited budgets and resources, and using a minimum number of developers, no more than two and specifically programmers.