The field covered by the chair "Computers, Networks & Design"; focuses on the analysis and specification methods, the design, the realization, and the application of digital information and communication systems. These are extremely complex systems with high communication speeds, a large number of operations per time unit, special memorystructures, etc. The realization is based on a (formal) design process, in which an optimal architecture is developed with a proper balance between hardware and software.
To this purpose extensive knowledge is gathered from the architectures of systems and their applications. The study of the theory of programming in general and control programsin particular is of importance.
The chair investigates the field of system theory, the modeling of digital systems and networks, descriptive languages and descriptive techniques, and structured design methodsof digital information processing systems. The latter term specifies an integrated process of analysis, specification, synthesis, optimalisation, design, simulation, verification,realization, presentation and reliability analysis, and testing.
The chair studies the structure and functioning of (digital) switching systems and telecommunication networks (intelligent networks and network functions for mobilecommunication) and pays attention to standardization, modeling, simulation, and verification of interfaces and protocols. In addition, more insight is gained into queuing andstagnation problems found in information and computer systems, and in telecommunication systems. Studies are also carried out on ways to trace errors in systems through diagnosticcircuits and programs. Research is done on methods for modeling and enhancing the reliability of systems.
Go to the web site of Computers, Networks & Design (ICS/CND).
The activity covered bij the chair "Design Technology" is centered around the design of electronics systems. In particular it focuses on the potential induced by themicro-electronic fabrication technology. This potential has consistently grown in the last decennia at a pace of doubling every two years on the average (Moore's law). Currently many million functions are integrated on one chip implementing embedded systems executing a huge number of system tasks concurrently and asynchronously. Consequently the designerfaces two essential problems:
Design environments for electronics systems have a layered structure in accordance with the requirements of a structured "top-down" design concept. While the bottom layer ofthe design documentation interfaces directly with the micro-electronics fabrication technology the top layer is aligned with the concepts of the capturing and the modeling of complex information processing systems. The interfacing with the fabrication technology takes place in a large variety of ways. When layouts of multimillion-transistor chips areinvolved methods have to be found to master the enormous complexity of the geometrical structures of those layouts including aspects of the extraction of their functional behaviorand the investigation of their defect sensitivity. For prototyping the mapping of complex systems onto field programmable components is of primary importance. However technologyalso reaches into the design of circuit structures where new methods controlling the timing, the power dissipation and the testability have to be conceived in view of the new physical phenomena coming up with every new stage of miniaturization. The economic issues around the fabrication sites become more pronounced with every new generation. As thelevel of investment approaches 2 billion US$ per site shortly the life cycle of the products becomes shorter and shorter. Therefore it is necessary to arrive at sufficiently highyield levels as early as possible in the life cycle of a fabrication process ("yield learning").
In recent years the significance of programming languages for the capturing of the algorithmic behavior of large micro-electronic systems has already largely been recognized. The area of "High Level Synthesis" considers the (partially automatic) assembly of architectures and the associated program code from algorithmic descriptions of the behavior of systems like the en- and decoders for digital video- and audio-products of the multimedia-technology. Now the design methodology of today's and tomorrow's electronic systems willfully integrate the instruments of the design of information processing systems. Modern design environments will rely on object oriented programming paradigms capturing largecompounds of communicating processes including models of the environment. The design flow will accommodate many different ways towards implementation including ASIC-layout, field-programmable components and huge amounts of code loaded into interconnected prefabricated blocks of hardware. Those blocks may be as complex as a Pentium-, a MIPS- or aTRIMEDIA-processor. Advanced compilation-techniques will help to control the performance of the code. Simulation-techniques and methods of formal reasoning will be developed toestablish the confidence in the correct functioning of the entire system under design.
The mastering of the rate of change of the design environments is a basically unsolved problem. Lately a start has been made with the observation of design processes inindustrial environments in order to investigate the supportive quality of design flows and their tools. The objective is to indicate essential bottlenecks in the design flow andinitiate measures of counteraction. Those measures may point towards the development of improved tools as well as completely new concepts of tools. But also new methods of designtraining as well as other efficient ways to the adaptation of new concepts by advanced ergonomic structuring may result. Obviously there is a connection to the ergonomictechniques developed for the access of modern information networks ("INTERNET") and the software technology of ("personal") computers in general.
Go to the web site of Design Technology (ICS/ES).
Go to the web site of Mixed-signal Microelectronics (ICS/MsM).