Nikola Teslic

Ultralow-Latency Hardware-in-the-Loop Platform for Rapid Validation of Power Electronics Designs

This paper introduces a unified approach to the validation of power-electronics (PE) control hardware, firmware, and software designs. It is based on a scalable application-specific ultralow-latency (ULL) digital processor core. The proposed ULL processor core simulates PE converters and systems comprising multiple power converters with a fixed 1-μs simulation time step and latency, regardless of the size of the system. Owing to its ULL, the proposed platform enables the fully automatic testing and validation of the complete PE design comprising component safe-operating-area validation, system protection, firmware, and software implementation as well as overall system performance optimization.

Automatic functional TV set failure detection system

Enormous technological innovation in recent years has put a great challenge upon manufacturers in consumer electronics industry: how to efficiently and accurately verify the functionality of a product handed to a customer. To address this problem, we propose a fully automated system for functional failure detection in TV sets. In the proposed framework, the automatic assessment of TV set functionality is performed by processing captured images of the TV set under inspection and the captured images from the reference TV set (which is considered to be with no functional failures). A new algorithm for image similarity is proposed and incorporated in the system for evaluating the difference between the tested image and the reference one, in respect to specific degradations that can occur in TV sets. The similarity detection algorithm is a full-reference intra-frame video quality assessment scheme, which is based on spatially local mean square error and variance between the reference and the tested image. Based on the similarity detection, an acceptance decision for the TV set functionality is made. The proposed embedded system for automatic TV functional failure detection includes (i) central control unit through which the testing methodology is carried out: The TV set under inspection is fed by the test video signals defined by the (ii) specified test-case-scenario, while the picture is simultaneously captured from the tested TV set and compared by the (iii) proposed similarity detection algorithm to the reference one, for the same type of TV set. Finally, the results are stored in the (iv) data base for TV set debugging purposes. The usability and effectiveness of the proposed methodology has been experimentally evaluated and detailed analysis of the results has been reported. The proposed similarity detection algorithm has shown to be superior to the other state-of-the-art image quality assessment algorithms in terms of detecting TV picture degradations (such as picture misalignment, illumination change, aliasing, blurring, etc.) in captured images from TV set, under the methodology which incorporates defined test-case-scenario.

Android4TV: A proposition for integration of DTV in Android devices

This paper presents a proposition for integration of DTV in Android devices. The proposed system offers complete DTV functionality, while enabling users to use the TV device as a regular Android device. The proposition also includes a specification of a Java API that should be used to access DTV content from Android applications.

Set-top box-based home controller

In this paper we present a novel software-based home control platform as an add-on to a set-top box (STB) for digital television. By means of using merely a remote controller, traditional STB users become able to control lights, appliances and media playback in their homes. Intelligence and awareness is achieved with a support for execution of recipes — pre-prepared scripts that define timely actions and respond to triggers obtained from sensors. Software abstraction layer facilitates integration of any desired communication protocol. In our prototype, we supported Zigbee and DMX for light control, X10 for light/appliances control over power line, as well as Ethernet-based optical cameras as motion / presence sensors and UPnP / DLNA based equipment for distributed media playback.

E2LP: A Unified Embedded Engineering Learning Platform

The main idea behind this project is to provide a unified platform which will cover a complete process for embedded systems learning. A modular approach is considered for skills practice through supporting individualization in learning. This platform shall facilitate a novel development of universal approach in creative learning environment and knowledge management that encourage use of ICT. New learning model is challenging the education of engineers in embedded systems design through real-time experiments that stimulate curiosity with ultimate goal to support students to understand and construct their personal conceptual knowledge based on experiments. In addition to the technological approach, the use of cognitive theories on how people learn will help students to achieve a stronger and smarter adaptation of the subject. Applied methodology will be evaluated from the scientific point of view in parallel with the implementation in order to feedback results to the R&D.

On the Effectiveness of the System Validation Based on the Black Box Testing Methodology

With the advancement of technology in recent years, effective fault diagnosis became a necessity to verify the performance and ensure the quality of complex systems. In this paper, an original verification methodology for complex consumer electronic devices is presented. Verification of the system which consists of hardware (integrated circuit) and corresponding software within a flat panel TV set is in the focus. Proposed methodology provides reliable functional failure detection using the concept of black box testing. Further, the approach is fully automated, improving the reliability and speed of failure detection. The methodology effectiveness has been experimentally evaluated and the analysis results have been reported.

A real-time wavelet-domain video denoising implementation in FPGA

The use of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for digital signal processing (DSP) has increased with the introduction of dedicated multipliers, which allow the implementation of complex algorithms. This architecture is especially effective for data-intensive applications with extremes in data throughput. Recent studies prove that the FPGAs offer better solutions for real-time multiresolution video processing than any available processor, DSP or general-purpose. FPGA design of critically sampled discrete wavelet transforms has been thoroughly studied in literature over recent years. Much less research was done towards FPGA design of overcomplete wavelet transforms and advanced wavelet-domain video processing algorithms. This paper describes the parallel implementation of an advanced wavelet-domain noise filtering algorithm, which uses a nondecimated wavelet transform and spatially adaptive Bayesian wavelet shrinkage. The implemented arithmetic is decentralized and distributed over two FPGAs. The standard composite television video stream is digitalized and used as a source for real-time video sequences. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed scheme for real-time video processing.

Acoustic Source Localization in Wireless Sensor Network

In this paper, we consider the problem of acoustic source localization in a wireless sensor network based on different measured signal quantities, such as the received signal strength (RSS), the angle of arrival (AOA) and the time of arrival (TOA). For each of these quantities, an appropriate weighted least squares criterion function is developed to be used for sound source localization. The weights of each criterion function take into account the decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with distance from the source. In addition, RSS localization algorithm proposed in this paper provides improvement of the localization accuracy for low SNR. Finally, separate criterion functions for RSS, TOA and AOA are used together to obtain minimal localization error and maximal reliability of the acoustic source localization. Simulation analysis confirms improved performance of the proposed localization algorithm.

Adaptive microphone array for unknown desired speaker’s transfer function

The main drawback of minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer is the cancellation of the desired speech signal and its degradation in multi-path wave propagation environment. To make the adaptive algorithm robust against room reverberation and to prevent desired signal cancellation an estimation of unknown desired speakers transfer function was proposed. The estimation is based on the signal and the interference covariance matrices. The estimated transfer function is then applied to the MVDR beamformer. The proposed algorithm was tested on a simulated room with reverberation. The results showed better quality of the restored speech compared to some typical adaptive algorithms.

Cloud-based framework for QoS monitoring and provisioning in consumer devices

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for a scalable, adaptable and efficient Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring system for consumer devices. The system is set in the Cloud environment and based on TR-069 remote management protocol. The proposed solution allows the development of secure, cloud-based network provisioning and management applications. Cloud access interfaces provide all needed information for the development of web-based or mobile applications which allow visualization of acquired QoS parameters.