Frank-Michael Renner

State-of-the-art in rapid prototyping for mechatronic systems

This paper will give an overview of state-of-the-art rapid prototyping techniques for mechatronic systems and their enabling technologies. After presenting a taxonomy for the plethora of existing approaches some example prototyping systems and case studies are discussed. With this, the benefits of the emerging new class of system-level prototyping approaches as efficient validation methods for the growing microelectronic part of future mechatronic systems which have to cope with increasing complexity and tighter time-to-market constraints should be pointed out.

Hardware in-the-loop simulation-a rapid prototyping approach for designing mechatronics systems

Presents a rapid prototyping approach for the design and verification of mechatronics systems. We show the need for rapid prototyping the information processing part to perform hardware-in-the-loop simulation due to the limited modeling capability of mechanical processes. We propose the use of a graphical environment based on dataflow graphs to capture suitable algorithms. Through automatic extraction of C code targeting commercial digital signal processors and hardware-in-the-loop simulation, shorter turn-around cycles can be achieved. Furthermore, FPGA emulation or ASIC design can be started from the same dataflow graph which has already been validated, yielding improved confidence in and efficiency of the design flow. A real-world design example shows the feasibility of this approach for handling the complexity and heterogeneity of many algorithms found in mechatronics applications.

Automated communication synthesis for architecture-precise rapid prototyping of real-time embedded systems

Presents an automated approach to communication architecture synthesis with real-time constraints. Based on a pre-partitioned hardware/software specification and given communication constraints, a thorough analysis of different communication structures is carried out using performance models of communication links in order to determine an optimized communication architecture. The complete hardware/software system is emulated as an architecture-specific prototype on a real-time platform in order to verify the derived communication architecture as well as the hardware/software partitioning.

Communication performance models for architecture-precise prototyping of real-time embedded systems

This paper presents performance models of different communication links for precise performance estimation of communication structures in complex hardware/software systems. Communication performance models are the basis for efficient communication architecture synthesis with real-time constraints. Based on a pre-partitioned mixed hardware/software description and given communication and timing constraints, a thorough analysis of different communication structures is performed automatically to guide the synthesis of optimized communication architectures. The hardware/software system including the derived communication structure will be emulated as an architecture-precise prototype on a reconfigurable real-time execution platform.

Design Methodology of Application Specific Integrated Circuits for Mechatronic Systems

Abstract In this paper the implementation of the information processing element of mechatronic applications is described. First, a brief overview of a mechatronic application, an integrated active magnetic bearing system, is given. The design process for realizing a software as well as a hardware prototype of the controller is described and details of the individual modules within the design process are discussed. The controller of the magnetic bearing is implemented using a graphical high-level approach. From this specification a C as well as a VHDL description is generated automatically and transferred either as a software prototype to a DSP system or as a hardware prototype to a FPGA-based system both located at the test rig.

Internet-based training of reconfigurable technologies

The paper presents perspectives for realizing Internet-based training in reconfigurable technologies by describing an FPGA-course currently under development at Darmstadt University of Technology. Additionally, it tries to stress the possibilities of such promising, flexible and cheap computing systems, and also to identify present disadvantages in order to accelerate future developments, as well as to force more necessary interrelations between industry and academic fields. Within this FPGA-course, persons interested in the perspectives of reconfigurable computing (e.g. students as well as small companies) are offered an amount of information covering an introduction into reconfigurable computing and its applications, cost/performance trade-offs (e.g. for small companies), fine-/coarse-grained and hybrid device architectures, overview on vendors and corresponding design tools, and finally the structural programming process including examples from different areas.

Perspectives of Reconfigurable Computing in Education

The paper describes the emerging potential and flexible properties of reconfigurable computing in education of engineers and students, as well as of technicians of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, an FPGA-course currently under development at Darmstadt University of Technology is outlined. The dedicated structure and contents cover an introduction into reconfigurable computing and its applications, cost/performance trade-offs (e.g. for small companies), fine-/coarse-grained and hybrid device architectures, overview on vendors and corresponding design tools and the structural programming process including examples from different areas.

State-of-the-Art in Rapid Prototyping for Mechatronic Systems

Abstract This paper will give an overview of state-of-the-art rapid prototyping techniques for mechatronic systems and their enabling technologies. After presenting a taxonomy for the plethora of existing approaches some example prototyping systems and case studies are discussed. With this, the benefits of the emerging new class of system-level prototyping approaches as efficient validation methods for the growing microelectronic part of future mechatronic systems which have to cope with increasing complexity and tighter time-to-market constraints should be pointed out.

Field Programmable Communication Emulation and Optimization for Embedded System Design

The generation of application-specific communication architectures is a time consuming and error prone task in embedded system design. In most design environments the evaluation of generated communication structures is done by cosimulation only. In this paper we present an approach to architecture-precise embedded system communication emulation using a reconfigurable rapid prototyping platform, hardware monitoring of the emulated communication structure as well as local and global communication architecture optimization techniques.

An FPFA Implementation of a Magnetic Bearing Controller for Mechatronic Applications

In this paper we describe the implementation of an integrated magnetic bearing controller for mechatronic applications. First, a brief overview of the mechatronic application is given. The design process for an FPGA implementation is described and details of the individual modules within the design process are given. The magnetic bearing controller is implemented using a graphical high-level approach. From this implementation a VHDL description is automatically generated, partitioned onto several FPGAs and transferred to a printed circuit board located at the test rig.