Umberto Bondi

MULTICUBE: Multi-objective Design Space Exploration of Multi-core Architectures

Technology trends enable the integration of many processor cores in a System-on-Chip (SoC). In these complex architectures, several architectural parameters can be tuned to find the best trade-off in terms of multiple metrics such as energy and delay. The main goal of the MULTICUBE project consists of the definition of an automatic Design Space Exploration framework to support the design of next generation many-core architectures.

Virtual Power Plant As a Bridge between Distributed Energy Resources and Smart Grid

The liberalization of energy markets, especially in correlation with the Smart Grid concept development, requires adjusted legislation, new business models, energy stock exchanges establishment and many other advanced instruments. Realization of these features necessitates novel concepts to support such changes in the power system while granting security and reliability of supply. Such evolution poses new challenges to ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) to bridge the gap between increased complexity of deregulated market and on the other side expected rapid growth of number of players in power systems. Increasing presence of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) implementations constitutes a further source of complexity.Bearing in mind ongoing and possible scenarios we aim to determinate the place and role of the novel Virtual Power Plants (VPP) concept, related to the Smart Grid structure. At the same time we introduce an innovative modeling approach as an instrument to determine actors and highlight their actual roles and interactions from different point of view, trying to pave the way for development of a common understanding platform for variety of stakeholders. The effectiveness of the proposed modeling concept is shown through a number of UML models representing system level description of VPP at different levels of abstraction.

Development cost and size estimation starting from high-level specifications

This paper addresses the problem of estimating cost and development effort of a system, starting from its complete or partial high-level description. In addition, some modifications to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of reusing VHDL-based designs, are presented. The proposed approach has been formalized using an approach similar to the COCOMO analysis strategy, enhanced by a project size prediction methodology based on a VHDL function point metric. The proposed design size estimation methodology has been validated through a significant benchmark, the LEON-1 microprocessor, whose VHDL description is of public domain.

Embedded systems education: job market expectations

The embedded systems world has radically changed since the first Embedded Systems Design Master studies were proposed. The spectrum of application areas has increased and the whole industrial ecosystem is changed, having SMEs emerged as major players. For these reasons, it becomes mandatory to reconsider the competences and capacities that should be provided in a Master of Science Program addressing Embedded Systems Design, so as to meet new and diverse requests that come from job market and prospective employers. In this paper, we present the study we carried out to outline the revised professional profile for young Embedded Systems Designers, and we report the results of our exploration. To infer the competence of an ideal candidate, we carried out two experiments: we analyzed the competences listed in posted job offers and we interviewed a number of potential employers. Results obtained analyzing the collected data, demonstrate the importance of soft skills such as teamwork and communication, and confirm that programming, networking, real time and system architecture know-how are in demand. Our results are an important starting point for updating embedded systems design curricula.

The MULTICUBE Design Flow

This chapter introduces the design-flow of the MULTICUBE project whose main goal is the definition of an automatic multi-objective Design Space Exploration (DSE) framework to be used to tune the parameters of System-on-Chip architectures by taking into account the target set of metrics (e.g. energy, latency, throughput, etc.). One of the important goals of the automatic multi-objective DSE framework is to find design trade-offs that best meet system constraints and cost criteria which are indeed strongly dependent on the target application.A set of heuristic optimisation algorithms have been defined to reduce the overall optimization time by identifying an approximated Pareto set of parameter configurations with respect to a set of selected figures of merit. Once the approximated Pareto set is built, the designer can quickly apply decision criteria to select the best configuration satisfying the constraints. The DSE flow is based on the interaction of two frameworks to be used at design time: the Design Space Exploration Framework, a set of opensource and proprietary architectural exploration tools, and the Power/Performance Estimation Framework, a set of modeling and simulation tools (open-source and proprietary) operating at several levels of abstraction. The DSE flow also includes the specification of an XML integration interface to connect the exploration and estimation frameworks and a Run-time Resource Manager exploiting, at run-time, the best software configuration alternatives derived at design-time to optimize the usage of system resources.

Functional requirements of embedded systems for monitoring and control structure of Virtual Power Plants

Efficient integration of distributed renewable generation into a reliable single entity in technical and commercial terms is one of key issues for successful realization of smart-grids. The novel concept of Virtual Power Plants (VPP) emerges to be promising response to these needs. ICT is enabling technology for VPP implementation. An efficient monitoring and control system coupled with appropriate communication structure must be designed in a scalable and modular way so that full interoperability among components of the system is achieved. On top of that, Control Center applications take care of power flow optimization (production, consumption, ancillary services etc.) and high-level applications (e.g. energy trading, Demand Side Management etc.). In this work we focus on functional requirements for realization of such concept by means of embedded systems.