ESL News

An informal "web log" about people and activities in the Embedded Systems Laboratory (ESL) at the University of Leicester (UK).

ESL announce project in Collaboration with Microsoft Research (12 February 2008)

The ESL have set up a project, in collaboration with Microsoft Research, to look at the use of synchronous languages in hardware/software co-design systems. A key issue in modern systems is the design, specification, development and verification of Hardware/Software Co-Design systems; particularly those involving highly concurrent implementations. This research programme will focus on hardware descriptions in synchronous languages, and how these relate to high level safety and systems issues.

The project is looking to recruit a funded doctoral student who will spend time working on an EngD (Engineering equivalent of a PhD) in the ESL, as well as participating in the Microsoft Internship programme. Informal enquiries should be sent to alistair.mcewan _at_ le.ac.uk.

ESL Publications in 2007 (19 December 2007)

It's been another busy year in the ESL. Our publications over this period are listed below.

Ali, A.N. and Pont, M.J. (2007) "Exploring the links between intended task schedule and scheduler implementation in embedded systems with a time-triggered software architecture", Proceedings of the 3rd UK Embedded Forum, Durham, UK, 203 April, 2007, pp.21-32. Published by IET. ISBN 9780863418037. ISSN 0537-9989.

Athaide, K., Hughes, Z.M. and Pont, M.J. (2007) "Towards a time-triggered processor", Proceedings of the 3rd UK Embedded Forum, Durham, UK, 203 April, 2007, pp.166. Published by IET. ISBN 9780863418037. ISSN 0537-9989.

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J., Short, M. and Parker, S. (2007) "Two novel shared-clock scheduling algorithms for use with CAN-based distributed systems", Microprocessors and Microsystems, 31(5): 326-334.

Gendy, A.K. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Automatically configuring time-triggered schedulers for use with resource-constrained, single-processor embedded systems", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics.

Gendy, A. and Pont, M.J. (2007) "Towards a generic 'single-path programming' solution with reduced power consumption", Proceedings of the ASME 2007 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE 2007), September 4-7, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Gendy, A., Dong, L. and Pont, M.J. (2007) "Improving the performance of time-triggered embedded systems by means of a scheduler agent", Proceedings of the ASME 2007 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE 2007), September 4-7, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Hughes, Z.M. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Reducing the impact of task overruns in resource-constrained embedded systems in which a time-triggered software architecture is employed", Trans Institute of Measurement and Control.

Kurian, S. and Pont, M.J. (2007) "Maintenance and evolution of resource-constrained embedded systems created using design patterns", Journal of Systems and Software, 80(1): 32-41.

Mwelwa, C., Athaide, K., Mearns, D., Pont, M.J. and Ward, D. (2007) "Rapid software development for reliable embedded systems using a pattern-based code generation tool". SAE Transactions: Journal of Passenger Cars (Electronic and Electrical Systems), 115(7): 795-803.

Pont, M.J., Kurian, S. and Bautista-Quintero, R. (2007) "Meeting real-time constraints using 'Sandwich Delays'". In: Zdun, U. and Hvatum, L. (Eds) Proceedings of the Eleventh European conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP '06), Germany, July 2006: pp.67-77. Published by Universitätsverlag Konstanz. ISBN 978-3-87940-813-9.

Pont, M.J., Kurian, S., Wang, H. and Phatrapornnant, T. (2007) "Selecting an appropriate scheduler for use with time-triggered embedded systems" Paper presented at the 12th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2007).

Short, M. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Assessment of high-integrity embedded automotive control systems using Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation", Journal of Systems and Software.

Short, M.J. and Pont, M.J. (2007) "Fault-tolerant time-triggered communication using CAN", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 3(2): 131-142.

Short, M.J., Fang, J., Pont, M.J. and Rajabzadeh, A. (2007) "Assessing the impact of redundancy on the performance of a brake-by-wire system". SAE Transactions: Journal of Passenger Cars (Electronic and Electrical Systems), 115(7): 331-338.

Wang, H., Pont, M.J. and Kurian, S. (2007) "Patterns which help to avoid conflicts over shared resources in time-triggered embedded systems which employ a pre-emptive scheduler" Paper presented at the 12th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2007).

Launch of "RapidiTTy Lite" (11 December 2007)

TTE Systems Ltd (a spin-out company from the ESL) has launched "RapidiTTy Lite" and "RapidiTTy FPGA Lite". These free products provide an introduction to time-triggered development techniques.

Both products can be downloaded from the TTE Systems WWW site.

Welcome to Musharraf Hanif and Douglas Mearns (1 October 2007)

Musharraf Hanif has joined the ESL to study for a PhD. Douglas Mearns has joined the ESL to study for an EngD. Both projects are funded by TTE Systems Ltd.

Two new lecturers join the ESL (13 September 2007)

Two new lecturers are joining the ESL.

Dr. Alistair McEwan joined us on 1 September. Alistair has research interests in formal methods and concurrency.

Dr. Michael Short will join us on 1 October. Michael's main research interests are in the areas of distributed and embedded control systems, dependable systems and robotics. Specific areas include: techniques for embedded software verification, testing and fault tolerance; hardware fault tolerance; system dependability and performance evaluation; and robotic force control.

ESL at MESA '07 (4-7 September 2007)

Ayman Gendy represented the ESL at the 3rd ASME/IEEE International Conference on Mechatronic and Embedded Systems and Applications (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, September 4-7, 2007).

The photograph shows, from left

Martin Horauer, University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, Vienna, Vienna, Austria Session Co-Chair of MESA07-3-1, Development and testing of mechatronic and embedded systems

Zuomin Dong, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada Review Co-Coordinator of DAC-7, Design Optimization Algorithms (part of the 33rd Design Automation Conference (DAC))

Bo Chen, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States Session Co-Chair of CIE-5-1, Computers in Electromechanical Systems (part of 27th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE))

Ayman Gendy, Embedded systems Lab., University of Leicester Paper presenter

YangQuan Chen, Utah State University Program Chair of 2007 ASME/IEEE International Conference On Mechatronic And Embedded Systems And Applications (MESA)

Harry H. Cheng, University of California, Davis General Co-Chair of 2007 ASME/IEEE International Conference On Mechatronic And Embedded Systems And Applications (MESA)

XiaoQi Chen, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Christchurch, New Zealand Session Co-Chair of MESA07-5-1, Mechatronic and Embedded System Applications

Embedded Systems Demonstrator Laboratory (26 June 2007)

The ESL is expanding!

With generous financial support from East Midlands Development Agency, the ESL is hosting a new "Embedded Systems Demonstrator Laboratory".

Further details about this lab can be found on the ESDL home page.

"RapidiTTy" product launched by TTE Systems (12 June 2007)

An ESL spin-out company (TTE Systems Ltd) has launched its first product. Known as "RapidiTTy", this product supports the rapid development and testing of time-triggered embedded systems, using off-the-shelf processors (with an ARM core) and SoC designs (using FPGAs).

The RapidiTTy product includes two complete processor cores, both based on the PH core.

A free download (RapidiTTy Preview) is also available.

For further details, please see the TTE Systems WWW site.

Science and Innovation Saturday (12 May 2007)

"Science and Innovation Saturday" took place on 12th May 2007 at the University of Leicester.

Staff from the ESL and representatives of our spin-out company TTE Systems attended this successful event.

Further information about Science and Innovation Saturday is available here.

[Photo by Allister Smeeton]

The ESL at the 3rd UK Embedded Forum (2-3 April, 2007)

PhD students in the ESL presented two papers at the 3rd UK Embedded Forum.

Details are as follows:

Ali, A.N. and Pont, M.J. "Exploring the links between intended task schedule and scheduler implementation in embedded systems with a time-triggered software architecture", Paper presented at the 3rd UK Embedded Forum.

Athaide, K., Hughes, Z.M. and Pont, M.J. "A modified soft-core processor with enhanced debug support", Paper presented at the 3rd UK Embedded Forum.

Further information about the forum is available here.

The photograph shows some members of the ESL in Durham.

[Photo by Huiyan Wang]

The proceedings of the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (2005) are available (7 Mb, PDF) here.

The proceedings of the 1st UK Embedded Forum (2004) are available (10 Mb, PDF) here.

Welcome to Muhammad Amir (26 March 2007)

Muhammad Amir has joined the ESL to study for a PhD. Further details of his project will follow shortly.

[Photograph by Sheikh Imran]

ESL Researcher wins BCS event in "National Science Week" (14 March 2007)

The Leicester Branch of the British Computer Society organises an annual competition involving PhD students at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University. This event takes place as part of "National Science Week".

This year, the event was won by Ayman Gendy (a PhD student in the ESL), who presented a paper entitled "Automatically configuring schedulers for use in resource-constrained embedded systems".

The photograph shows Mary Clarkson (Chair of the BCS Leicester Branch) presenting Ayman with his prize.

[Photo by Bev Lambie]

Dr. Dev Ayavoo nominated for EMESP Masters Prize 2007 (9 March 2007)

The winner of this prize will be selected at a competition held in Loughborough on 2 May.

Congratulations to "Dr. Teera Phatrapornnant" (9 March, 2007)

Congratulations to Teera Phatrapornnant, who successfully defended his PhD thesis today.

Phatrapornnant, T. (2007) "Reducing jitter in embedded systems employing a time-triggered software architecture and dynamic voltage scaling", PhD thesis, Embedded Systems Laboratory, University of Leicester.

"New Blood" Lectureship available in the ESL (1 March 2007)

The University of Leicester is seeking to appoint a "New Blood" Lecturer in the field of "Real-Time Embedded Systems, Architectures and Software Engineering". The Lecturer will join the ESL.

The closing date for applications is 20 March 2007.

Further details are available here

ESL opens two new laboratories (1 March 2007)

Following a significant expansion of the ESL, two additional lab facilities have been opened. These are in the "New Walk" area.

Further details will be available shortly.

New robotic test facility (1 February 2007)

Following a generous donation from the University of Sunderland, the ESL has taken delivery of three industrial robots (including an IBM SCARA robot).

PhD Graduation Ceremony (26 January 2007)

[Chisanga Mwelwa with Michael Pont. Photograph Halim Alwi.]

[Dev Ayavoo with Michael Pont. Photo by Halim Alwi.]

Welcome to Sheikh Imran (17 January 2007)

Sheikh Imran has joined the ESL to study for a PhD. Further details of his project will follow shortly.

[Photograph by Huiyan Wang]

Congratulations to "Dr. Chisanga Mwelwa" (10 January, 2007)

Congratulations to Chisanga Mwelwa, who successfully defended his PhD thesis today.

Mwelwa, C. (2006) "Development and assessment of a CASE tool to support the design and implementation of time-triggered embedded systems", PhD thesis, Embedded Systems Laboratory, University of Leicester.

Welcome to Ekarin Suethanwong (20 December 2006)

Ekarin Suethanwong has joined the ESL, to begin preparations for a PhD programme.

Congratulations to "Dr. Dev Ayavoo" (30 November, 2006)

Congratulations to Dev Ayavoo, who successfully defended his PhD thesis today.

Ayavoo, D. (2006) "Development of a tool to support the design of real-time embedded control systems for X-by-Wire applications", PhD thesis, Embedded Systems Laboratory, University of Leicester.

Launch of the "TTE Systems" Project (3 November, 2006)

The "TTE Systems" project was launched today at the University of Leicester. This project is intended to result in a "spin out" company (to be launched in 2007) which will exploit some of the research outputs of the ESL.

Welcome to Huiyan Wang (9 October 2006)

Huiyan Wang has joined the ESL to study for a PhD. Huiyan's project involves the development of tools for automatic code generation in systems which involve task pre-emption. Huiyan's project is funded by the EPSRC.

[Photograph by Sheikh Imran]

ESL at the IET Postgraduate Workshop on Embedded Systems (8 October 2006)

Researchers in the ESL will be making a number of presentations at the IET Postgraduate Workshop on Embedded Systems on 11 October 2006 (NEC, Birmingham, in conjunction with the Embedded Systems Show).

Details of the presentations are given below.

Selecting and Implementing a Custom Scheduler for a Reliable Embedded Application (Oral presentation by Ayman Gendy)

The Application of 'Safety Agents' in Time-Triggered Embedded Systems (Oral presentation by Lei Dong)

Predicting the Reliability of Embedded Systems Based on an Analysis of Source Code (Poster presentation by Ahmad Nazri Ali)

The Application of 'Fuzzy Logic Control' in Resource-Constrained Embedded Systems (Poster presentation by Ricardo Bautista-Quintero)

Distributed Fault-tolerant Software Architectures for X-By-Wire (Poster presentation by Tim Edwards)

Improving the Reliability of Embedded Systems (Poster presentation by Zemian M. Hughes)

Application of Design Patterns in the Maintenance of Software for Reliable Embedded Systems (Poster presentation by Susan Kurian)

Designing Reliable Embedded Systems where Limited Task Pre-Emption is Required (Poster presentation by Adi Maaita)

Reducing Task Jitter in TTC Schedulers for Resource-Constrained Embedded Systems (Poster presentation by Mouaaz Nahas)

Automatic Support for Improving the Fault-Tolerance of Embedded Systems (Poster presentation by Peter J. Vidler)

Welcome to Keith Athaide (2 October 2006)

Keith Athaide has joined the ESL to study for a PhD. Keith's project involves the design of a configurable processor for use in high-reliability applications. Keith's project is funded, in part, by the University of Leicester.

[Photo by Susan Kurian]

Welcome to Kam L. Chan (2 October 2006)

Kam L. Chan has joined the ESL to study for a PhD on non-invasive safety agents for time-triggered embedded systems. Kam's project is funded by IeMRC / EPSRC.

[Photo by Susan Kurian]

ESL at ESREL 2006 in Portugal (18-22 September, 2006)

Susan Kurian is presenting a paper at the "Safety and Reliability for Managing Risk 2006" (ESREL 2006), international conference in Portugal.

Publication details are as follows:

Kurian, S. and Pont, M.J. (2006) "Evaluating and improving pattern-based software designs for resource-constrained embedded systems". In: C. Guedes Soares & E. Zio (Eds), "Safety and Reliability for Managing Risk: Proceedings of the 15th European Safety and Reliabilty Conference (ESREL 2006), Estoril, Portugal, 18-22 September 2006", Vol. 2, pp.1417-1423. Published by Taylor and Francis, London. ISBN: 0-415-41620-5.

ESL at "Control 2006" in Glasgow (August 30 to September 1, 2006)

Researchers are presenting three papers at the "Control 2006" conference which takes place in Glasgow from August 30 to September 1, 2006.

Full publication details are as follows:

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J. and Parker, S. (2006) "Does a 'simulation first' approach reduce the effort involved in the development of distributed embedded control systems?" Proccedings of the 6th UKACC Control Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 30 August to 1 September, 2006.

Fang, J. and Pont, M.J. (2006) "Exploring the links between software architecture and PID parameters in embedded control systems". Proccedings of the 6th UKACC Control Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 30 August to 1 September, 2006.

Short, M. and Pont, M.J. (2006) "Predicting the impact of hardware redundancy on the performance of embedded control systems". Proccedings of the 6th UKACC Control Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 30 August to 1 September, 2006.

In addition, Michael Pont has been invited to chair the "Embedded, Micro and Software Issues in Control" session at this event.

ESL at MESA '06 in Beijing (13-16 August 2006)

ESL at UoL Festival of Postgraduate Research (13 June 2006)

A number of presentations from researchers in the ESL were selected for the University of Leicester "Festival of Postgraduate Research" (held on 13 June 2006). At the event, Susan Kurian received a "Highly Commended" award for her poster entitled "Supporting the Maintenance and Evolution of Software for Embedded Systems Using Design Patterns and CASE Tools".

The photo shows Susan receiving her award from Prof. Bill Brammar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Leicester.

[Photo by Dev Ayavoo and Royan Ong]

ESL at EuroPLoP 2006 (7 June 2006)

Researchers in the ESL have had two papers accepted for "EuroPLoP 2006" (the main European conference in pattern-based software design). One of these papers will be presented in the "Master Track".

Publication details are as follows:

Kurian, S. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Restructuring a pattern language which supports time-triggered co-operative software architectures in resource-constrained embedded systems". Paper to be presented at the 11th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2006), Germany, July 2006.

Pont, M.J., Kurian, S. and Bautista, R. (in press) "Meeting real-time constraints using 'Sandwich Delays'". Paper to be presented at the 11th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2006), Germany, July 2006.

ESL Researcher Wins IET YM "Short Papers" Prize (8 May 2006)

The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) holds an annual Younger Member's event at which researchers from across the East Midlands present their work. The 2006 event was held at the University of Loughborough on 8 May. The winner was Adi Maaita, who studying for a PhD in the ESL.

Adi presented a paper summarising the work he has carried out on time-triggered hybrid scheduling. He will now go on to compete in the IET's (national) 'Write around the world' competition.

The photograph shows Adi at the start of his prize-winning presentation.

[Photo by Ricardo Bautista]

ESL Researcher Wins EMPEI Master's Prize (25 April 2006)

The East Midlands' Universities, in partnership with the East Midlands Professional Engineering Institutions (EMPEI) can each award an annual Master's Prize to the student whose project is identified as 'most likely to change the future'.

This year the University of Leicester prize has gone to Zemian Hughes. Zemian is studying for a PhD in the ESL. The photograph shows Zemian receiving his prize from Graham Mulholland, director of EPM Technology.

This is the second year in succession that the Leicester EMPEI Prize has gone to a member of the ESL.

ESL at "EASE 2006 Doctoral Workshop" in Keele (30 March 2006)

Dev Ayavoo (a PhD student in the ESL) will present a poster at the EASE 2006 Doctoral Workshop (Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering) on 12 April 2006 at the University of Keele (UK).

ESL Researcher wins BCS event in "National Science Week" (15 March 2006)

The Leicester Branch of the British Computer Society organises an annual competition involving PhD students at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University. This event takes place as part of "National Science Week".

This year, the event was won by Peter Vidler (a PhD student in the ESL), who presented a paper entitled "Improving the reliability of embedded systems". Congratulations to Pete!

[Photo by Michael J. Pont.]

Welcome to Laurent Bonthonneau (1 March 2006)

Laurent Bonthonneau has joined the ESL to work on automatic code generation for embedded systems.

ESL at ICCSA 2006 in Glasgow (1 February 2006)

Pete Vidler has had a paper accepted for presentation at IEE ICCSA 2006, to be held in Glasgow in May 2006.

Full publication details are as follows:

Vidler, P.J. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Computer assisted source-code parallelisation". Paper to be presented at the IEE International Conference on Computational Science and its Applications (ICCSA 2006), Glasgow, Scotland, May 2006.

Welcome to Ahmad Nazri Ali (23 January, 2006)

Ahmad Nazri Ali ("Nazri") has joined the ESL (from Malaysia) to study for a PhD. His work is sponsored by "University Science Malaysia" (USM).

[Photo by Tim Edwards]

ESL at the SAE World Congress in Detroit (10 January 2006)

Members of the ESL have had two papers accepted for presentation at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, to be held in Detroit (USA) in April 2006.

Full publication details are as follows:

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J. and Ward, D. (in press) "Rapid software development for reliable embedded systems using a pattern-based code generation tool". To be presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, Detroit, Michigan, USA, April 2006 [Session AE24 (autocode generation)].

Short, M.J., Fang, J., Pont, M.J. and Rajabzadeh, A. (in press) "Assessing the impact of redundancy on the performance of a brake-by-wire system". To be presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress, Detroit, Michigan, USA, April 2006. [Session AE5 (Safety Critical Systems)].

ESL at AMC 06 in Istanbul (8 December 2005)

Ricardo Bautista has had a paper accepted for presentation at the "9th International Workshop on Advanced Motion Control" (AMC 06), to be held in Istanbul, March 27-29, 2006.

Full publication details are as follows:

Bautista, R. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Is fuzzy logic a practical choice in resource-constrained embedded control systems implemented using general-purpose microcontrollers?", to be presented at the "9th International Workshop on Advanced Motion Control" (AMC 06), to be held in Istanbul, March 27-29, 2006.

Proceedings of Second UK Embedded Forum (23 November 2005)

The proceedings of the Second UK Embedded Forum are now available.

A full PDF version (300 pages, 7Mbyte) is available here.

ESL Student awarded Dunlop Polymer Prize (2 November 2005)

Keith Athaide is currently completing a BEng degree in Electronic and Software Engineering at the University of Leicester. Over the summer he carried out a successful project in the ESL and he is now carrying out his Final Year project in the lab. Keith was today presented with the Dunlop Polymer Engineering Division Prize for "an outstanding performance in the second year of an engineering degree course".

The photograph shows Keith receiving his award from Prof. Sarah Spurgeon (Head of the Department of Engineering at the University of Leicester).

[Photograph by Tom Robotham]

ESL contributes to new Systems Engineering Doctorate Centre (12 October, 2005)

The University of Leicester has joined a consortium of partners from industry and the university sector to launch a new initiative that will provide practical, high level training for systems engineers of the future.

The Systems Engineering Doctorate Centre (SEDC) is a new initiative from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) that will allow candidates to acquire an Engineering Doctorate degree.

The SEDC will be coordinated by Loughborough University and will take the form of a consortium involving four other universities - Leicester, Bath, Queen's Belfast, and Strathclyde - and a number of industry organisations.

The ESL is very pleased to be contributing to this important new venture in the area of software development for reliable embedded systems.

The full University press release is available here.

Welcome to Lei Dong (3 October, 2005)

Lei Dong has joined the ESL (from China) to study for a PhD. Dong's project - which is supported in part by the ESL - will explore the development of safety agents and event translators for time-triggered embedded systems.

Successful conclusion of summer project (15 September, 2005)

From a University of Leicester Press Release:

"During a 10-week period this summer, Keith Athaide and Douglas Mearns (two undergraduate students from the Department of Engineering) have worked in the Embedded Systems Laboratory (ESL) on a project funded by MIRA Ltd.

This project has involved extending the prototype "PTTES Builder" system which has been developed by Chisanga Mwelwa in ESL as part of his PhD studies (funded by EPSRC and MIRA Ltd). Dr. Michael J. Pont (Head of the ESL) comments, "PTTES Builder is the culmination of a long programme of work in the ESL in which we have been investigating techniques for the development of software for systems - such as cars and aircraft - in which reliable operation is a key design consideration."

Dr. Pont adds, "Keith, Douglas and Chisanga have done a tremendous job on this project over the summer." Dr. David Ward (Head of Advanced Engineering in the Electrical Group at MIRA Ltd) comments, "The amount achieved by the team in a short period of time over the summer confirms that this concept is robust and extensible, and can make a major contribution to the development of safe and reliable embedded systems"."

The photograph shows (from left) Keith Athaide, Douglas Mearns, Michael Pont and Chisanga Mwelwa working with a prototype of the CASE tool.

[Photograph by Andrew Fryer]

ESL "away day" (September, 2005)

Members of the ESL had an "away day" near Melton Mowbray (with some friends) in September. The photo shows some of them hard at work...

8th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems 2005 (September 13-16 2005)

Michael Short presented a paper at the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems held in Vienna (13-16 September 2005).

Full publication details are as follows:

Short, M. and Pont, M.J. (2005) "Hardware in the loop simulation of embedded automotive control systems", in Proceedings of the 8th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (IEEE ITSC 2005) held in Vienna, Austria, 13-16 September 2005, pp. 226-231.

Second UK Embedded Forum 2005 - REGISTER NOW!

The full programme of talks for the 2nd EU Embedded Forum is now available: please click here.

If you are working in this area and are interested in the future development of embedded systems (or you are an MSc or PhD student with interests in embedded systems) you can attend the Second UK Embedded Forum without charge, if you have registered to attend the Embedded Systems Show exhibition (which is also free - but you have to register).

To register for the ESS Exhibition, please click here.

ESL Barbeque (4 August 2005)

Dev Ayavoo organised an (excellent!) barbeque for members of the ESL on Thursday 4th August.

The photo below was taken towards the end of the evening and shows some ESL members, and their families, outside the Engineering Tower.

[Photo by Royan Ong]

Welcome to Dr. Amir Rajabzadeh (3 August 2005)

Dr. Amir Rajabzadeh (from Razi University, Iran) has joined the ESL for a 5-month research visit. Dr. Rajabzadeh will be exploring techniques for predicting the reliability of distributed embedded systems.

Second UK Embedded Forum 2005

Following the success of the first UK Embedded Forum in 2004, the 2nd UK Embedded Forum will be held in Birmingham from 19-20 October, 2005. The forum is associated with the Embedded System Show.

Members of the ESL will be presenting a number of papers at this event: details are given below.

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J., Fang, J., Short, M. and Parker, S. (in press) "A 'Hardware-in-the Loop' testbed representing the operation of a cruise-control system in a passenger car", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J., Short, M. and Parker, S. (in press) "Two novel shared-clock scheduling algorithms for use with CAN-based distributed systems", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Bautista, R., Pont, M.J. and Edwards, T. (in press) "Comparing the performance and resource requirements of 'PID' and 'LQR' algorithms when used in a practical embedded control system: A pilot study", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Edwards, T., Pont, M.J., Short, M.J., Scotson, P. and Crumpler, S. (in press) "An initial comparison of synchronous and asynchronous network architectures for use in embedded control systems with duplicate processor nodes", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Hughes, Z.M., Pont, M.J. and Ong, H.L.R. (in press) "The PH Processor: A soft embedded core for use in university research and teaching", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Kurian, S. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Building reliable embedded systems using Abstract Patterns, Patterns, and Pattern Implementation Examples", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Kurian, S. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Mining for pattern implementation examples", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Maaita, A. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Using 'planned pre-emption' to reduce levels of task jitter in a time-triggered hybrid scheduler", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J. and Ward, D. (in press) "Developing reliable embedded systems using a pattern-based code generation tool: A case study", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Nahas, M. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Using XOR operations to reduce variations in the transmission time of CAN messages: A pilot study", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Vidler, P.J. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Automatic conversion from 'single processor' to 'multi-processor' software architectures for embedded control systems", paper to be presented at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum (Birmingham, UK, October 2005).

Welcome to Keith Athaide and Douglas Mearns (11 July 2005)

Keith Athaide and Douglas Mearns have joined the ESL to undertake a 10-week summer project funded by MIRA Ltd. Keith and Douglas will be continuing the development of a tool for automatic code generation from design patterns.

[Photo by Dev Ayavoo (not one of his best ...)]

PH Processor v1.0 (21 June, 2005)

The ESL have released the "open source" PH Processor (v1.0), which was created by Zemian Hughes. The design of this processor follows the outline provided by Patterson and Hennessy (2004).

Briefly, the PH Processor is a 32-bit design with 32 registers and a 5-stage pipeline.

Further details are available here.

10th International Conference on Reliable Software Technologies (June 20-24 2005)

Dev Ayavoo presented a paper at the 10th International Conference on Reliable Software Technologies held in York (UK) in June 2005.

Full publication details are as follows:

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J. and Parker, S. (2005) "Observing the development of a reliable embedded system". In Vardanega, T and Wellings, A. (Eds.) "Proceedings of the 10th Ada-Europe International Conference on Reliable Software Technologies, York, UK, June 20-24 2005", pp. 167-179. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 3555. Published by Springer-Verlag [ISBN: 3-540-26286-5].

Festival of Postgraduate Research (9 June 2005)

From the main University of Leicester WWW site:

"The University of Leicester, one of the UK's leading research institutions, is holding an exciting one-day exhibition of postgraduate research. This event offers employers the opportunity to meet with the next generation of innovators and cutting-edge researchers.

The event will showcase 50 of the best research postgraduates at the University of Leicester and provide an opportunity for employers to question researchers about the real world implications of their research."

This event took place on Thursday 9th June, 2005. Four presentations from members of the ESL were selected for this event:

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J. and Parker, S. "Does Simulation Reduce the Effort Involved in the Development of Reliable Embedded Systems?"

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J., Ward, D. and Ayavoo, D. "Using design patterns to support code generation for reliable embedded systems"

Nahas, M. and Pont, M.J. "Maximising the reliability of CAN-based distributed embedded systems"

Phatrapornnant, T. and Pont, M.J. "Jitter reduction in time-triggered embedded systems employing dynamic voltage scaling".

8th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems 2005

Michael Short will present a paper at the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, to be held in Vienna in September 2005.

Full publication details are as follows:

Short, M. and Pont, M.J. (in press) "Hardware in the loop simulation of embedded automotive control systems", to be presented at the IEEE ITSC 05 (International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems) Vienna, Austria, 13-16 September 2005.

Presentation by Kam Wun Cheng (13 May 2005)

The project was a success, and Wun was one of a small number of students selected to present his work at the department's "Project Presentation Finals", held today. The photograph below shows him in action.

[Photograph by Royan Ong]

Welcome to Ayman Gendy (10 May, 2005)

Ayman K. Gendy has arrived in the UK today (from Egypt) to begin work on a PhD in the ESL.

British Computer Society Leicester Branch 2004/2005

Michael Short will give a research seminar on Thursday 2 June 2005 (*PROVISIONAL DATE*) at a meeting of the Leicester branch of the British Computer Society.

Further details are given below.

Investigating Drive-by-Wire Applications using a Hardware-in-the-Loop Testbed

Presented by: Dr. Michael Short Embedded Systems Laboratory, University of Leicester

Distributed embedded systems (DESs) are highly complex, and understanding the implications of different design decisions - including the choice of programming language, system architecture and network protocol - is never straightforward. With the growing use of safety-critical DESs in a range of applications, there is a pressing need to investigate the implications of these design choices and their possible impact on system reliability.

To this end, a novel "hardware in the loop" (HIL) testbed is being developed in the Embedded Systems Laboratory at the University of Leicester. This novel testbed is currently being used to explore design options for an adaptive cruise-control system (ACCS) for a passenger car. The ACCS system incorporates both throttle-by-wire and brake-by-wire components.

The talk will describe various key aspects of the ACCS testbed, including the vehicle models, "intelligent" drivers and a motorway simulation. The talk will conclude by presenting a range of results from this study.

Thursday 12th May 2005 6.30pm for 7.00pm

Queens Building, De Montfort University, Leicester. Queens Building is near the Kimberlin Library.

Parking at the Main Car Park, accessed via Jarrom Street (by Leicester Royal Infirmary) and The Gateway. Non-members welcome. Free buffet from 6.30 pm.

A photograph of the testbed in place in the ESL:

[Photograph by Dev Ayavoo]

EMPEI Master's Prizes 2005

[From an EMPEI press release].

Chisanga Mwelwa has picked up a top accolade for his PhD work. Chisanga's project is sponsored by MIRA Ltd. Dr David Ward, Head of Advanced Engineering, Electrical Group, at MIRA, says, "We are delighted that Chisanga is receiving this award in recognition of his work in this important field"

The East Midlands' Universities, in partnership with the East Midlands Professional Engineering Institutions (EMPEI) can each award an annual Masters Prize to the student whose project is identified as 'most likely to change the future'. Seven Awards of £250 each were presented on May 3 2005 at Henry Ford College in Loughborough. This event was a joint celebration with the culmination of the region's Engineering Education Scheme where teams from schools and companies across the region showcased their finished engineering projects.

Roy Briggs from EMPEI said, "This joint event promotes science, engineering and technology as well as celebrating the excellent engineering achievements of the region's young people." The EMPEI Masters Prizes aim to encourage, reward and recognise good work by the individuals and the universities. They can be awarded for project work by students of any age who are researching for a higher degree in science, engineering or technology at an East Midlands' university.

The photograph below shows Chisanga (left) receiving his award from Barry Stickings CBE, Chairman of the East Midlands Science, Innovation and Industry Council.

Second UK Embedded Forum (October 2005): Call for Papers

Following the success of the first UK Embedded forum in 2004, submissions are invited for presentation at the 2nd UK Embedded Forum, to be held in Birmingham from 19-20 October, 2005.

As with the first event, the 2005 UK Embedded Forum is a two-day workshop for UK-based PhD students working in the area of embedded systems.

The forum is associated with ESS, the Embedded System Show, which includes a technical track for Company Engineers and a major Exhibition.

Submission and deadlines

Prospective authors are required to submit a pdf file electronically; please e-mail to albert.koelmans@ncl.ac.uk, no later than May 27, 2005. Authors will be informed of the program committee's final decision by June 24th. The final version of the paper is due July 15th.

The Program Committee

Prof. A. Brown, University of Southampton

Dr. A. Bystrov, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Dr. A. Koelmans, University of Newcastle upon Tyne (Chair)

Dr. R. Ong, University of Leicester

Dr. M. Pont, University of Leicester

New ESL technical report

Pont, M.J., Kurian, S., Maaita, A. and Ong, R. (2005) "Restructuring a pattern language for reliable embedded systems", ESL Technical Report 2005-01.

You can download a copy of this technical report here.

International CAN Conference, Rome, March 2005

Mouaaz Nahas presented some of his work at the 10th International CAN conference in Rome in March 2005.

Publication details are as follows:

Nahas, M., Short, M.J. and Pont, M.J. (2005) "The impact of bit stuffing on the real-time performance of a distributed control system," Proceedings of the 10th international CAN Conference, Rome, 8 - 10 March 2005, pp.10-1 to 10-7.

SET for Britain Meeting (March, 2005)

Research by Chisanga Mwelwa and Devaraj Ayavoo was presented at the "SET for Britain" meeting at the House of Commons on March 14th, 2005.

The poster was as follows:

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J., Ward, D. and Ayavoo, D. (2005) "Using design patterns to support code generation for reliable embedded systems", Poster presentation at Science, Engineering and Technology for Britain (SET for Britain), House of Commons, London, March 14th 2005.

DATE Conference, Munich, March 2005

Zemian Hughes presented some of his work at the DATE 2005 PhD forum in Germany.

Publication details are as follows:

Hughes, Z.M. and Pont, M.J. (2005) "Design and evaluation of a "time-triggered" microcontroller". Poster presentation at DATE 2005 (PhD Forum), Munich, Germany, March 2005.

Research visit to China, March 2005

Michael Pont made a research visit to China in March 2005.

The photograph below shows an invited presentation at Xiamen University.

Welcome to Ricardo Bautista Quintero (February, 2005)

Ricardo Bautista Quintero has joined the ESL (from Mexico) to study for a PhD. Ricardo's project - which is supported by the supported by the National Council for Technology Education (COSNET) in Mexico - will explore the development of software architectures for use in distributed robot control systems.

MSc Graduation - February 2005

Further information about this programme is available here.

[Three of our "Embedded" MSc students at the 2005 graduation ceremony.]

Welcome to Jianzhong Fang (3 November, 2004)

Dr. Jianzhong Fang has joined the ESL to work on a Leverhulme-funded research project.

The photograph shows Dr. Fang and Dr. Michael Short.

Welcome to Adi Maaita (15 October, 2004)

Adi Maaita has joined the ESL (from Jordan) to study for a PhD. Adi's project - which is funded by the Al-Isra Private University of Jordan - will explore the design, implementation and testing of time-triggered "hybrid" schedulers.

New PhD students, September 2004

Three new PhD students joined the ESL in September 2004 - welcome Zemian, Susan and Pete!

Details of their projects is given below:

Design and evaluation of a "time-triggered" embedded processor (Zemian Hughes, supported by EPSRC)

Application of design patterns in the maintenance of software for reliable embedded systems (Susan Kurian, supported by ORS and University of Leicester)

Design and evaluation of a compiler for use with a time-triggered embedded processor (Peter Vidler, supported by EPSRC)

IEE / ACM Postgraduate Seminar on "System-On-Chip Design, Test and Technology", Loughborough, UK, 15 September 2004

Chisanga Mwelwa and Teera Phatrapornnant made presentations at the IEE / ACM Postgraduate Seminar on "System-On-Chip Design, Test and Technology", which was held in Loughborough on 15 September 2004.

Publication details are below:

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J. and Ward, D. (2004) "Using patterns to support the development and maintenance of software for reliable embedded systems: A case study", Proceedings of the IEE / ACM Postgraduate Seminar on "System-On-Chip Design, Test and Technology", Loughborough, UK, 15 September 2004. Published by IEE. ISBN: 0 86341 460 5 (ISSN: 0537-9989)

Phatrapornnant, T. and Pont, M.J. (2004) "The application of dynamic voltage scaling in embedded systems employing a TTCS software architecture: A case study", Proceedings of the IEE / ACM Postgraduate Seminar on "System-On-Chip Design, Test and Technology", Loughborough, UK, 15 September 2004. Published by IEE. ISBN: 0 86341 460 5 (ISSN: 0537-9989)

First UK Embedded Forum, Birmingham, October 2004

A number of PhD students from the ESL presented papers at the UK's first "Embedded Forum" in October 2005.

The following papers were presented:

Ayavoo, D., Pont, M.J. and Parker, S. (2004) "Using simulation to support the design of distributed embedded control systems: A case study". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.54-65. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0-7017-0180-3].

Edwards, T., Pont, M.J., Scotson, P. and Crumpler, S. (2004) "A test-bed for evaluating and comparing designs for embedded control systems". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.106-126. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0-7017-0180-3].

Hughes, Z.H. and Pont, M.J. (2004) "Design and test of a task guardian for use in TTCS embedded systems". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.16-25. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0-7017-0180-3].

Key, S. and Pont, M.J. (2004) "Implementing PID control systems using resource-limited embedded processors". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.76-92. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0-7017-0180-3].

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J. and Ward, D. (2004) "Code generation supported by a pattern-based design methodology". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.36-55. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0-7017-0180-3].

Nahas, M., Pont, M.J. and Jain, A. (2004) "Reducing task jitter in shared-clock embedded systems using CAN". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.184-194. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0-7017-0180-3].

Phatrapornnant, T. and Pont, M.J. (2004) "The application of dynamic voltage scaling in embedded systems employing a TTCS software architecture". In: Koelmans, A., Bystrov, A. and Pont, M.J. (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Embedded Forum 2004 (Birmingham, UK, October 2004), pp.127-143. Published by University of Newcastle upon Tyne [ISBN: 0- 7017-0180-3].

You can download a complete copy of these proceedings by clicking here (10 Mbyte, PDF).

New technical reports

The following ESL technical reports are now available:

Short, M.J., Pont, M.J. and Huang, Q. (2004) "Safety and Reliability of Distributed Embedded Systems: Simulation of Vehicle Longitudinal Dynamics". Embedded Systems Laboratory Technicial Report ESL04/01.

Short, M.J., Pont, M.J. and Huang, Q. (2004) "Safety and Reliability of Distributed Embedded Systems: Simulation of Motorway Traffic Flows". Embedded Systems Laboratory Technical Report ESL04/02.

Short, M.J., Pont, M.J. and Huang, Q. (2004) "Safety and Reliability of Distributed Embedded Systems: Development of a Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Facility for Automotive ACC Implementations". Embedded Systems Laboratory Technical Report ESL04/03.

You can download copies of these technical reports here.

Research visit by Daniela Boyo

Daniela Boyo (University of Leicester) joined the ESL in July 2004 to carry out an 8-week programme of research looking at bus guardians for use in time-triggered systems (funded by the Nuffield Foundation).

The photograph show's Daniela's final prototype.

[Photo by Royan Ong]

Research visit by Aman Jain

Aman Jain (Indian Institute of Technology, IIT) visited the ESL in May / June 2004 to undertake a six-week placement funded by the British Council. Aman studied software architectures for jitter-free speech playback in resource-constrained systems.

Related publication:

Jain, A. and Pont, M.J. (2004) "Speech playback in resource-constrained embedded systems", ESL visit report 2004-VR01.

You can download a copy of this technical report here.

The photo shows (from left) Michael Pont, Susan Kurian, Sarah Dromgoole and Aman Jain enjoying a visit to a traditional English pub.

[Photograph by the landlord]

SET for Britain Meeting (March, 2004)

Research by Michael Short and Qiang Huang was presented at the "SET for Britain" meeting at the House of Commons on March 15th, 2004.

The poster was as follows:

Welcome to Mouaaz Nahas (September 2003)

Mouuaz Nahas joined the ESL in September 2003 to begin studying for a PhD. In his project, which is funded by EPSRC, Mouaaz will explore the design of shared-clock scheduling techniques for distributed embedded systems with severe resource constraints.

EuroPLoP 2003

Several members of the ESL took part in EuroPLoP 2003 in Germany.

Publication details are given below:

Key, S.A., Pont, M.J. and Edwards, S. (2004) "Implementing low-cost TTCS systems using assembly language". In: Henney, K. and Schutz, D. (Eds) Proceedings of the Eighth European conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2003), Germany, June 2003: pp.667-690. Published by Universit~tsverlag Konstanz. ISBN 3-87940-788-6.

Pont, M.J., Norman, A.J., Mwelwa, C. and Edwards, T. (2004) "Prototyping time-triggered embedded systems using PC hardware". In: Henney, K. and Schutz, D. (Eds) Proceedings of the eighth European conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2003), Germany, June 2003: pp.691-716. Published by Universit~tsverlag Konstanz. ISBN 3-87940- 788-6.

Research visit by Pasi Kortelainen

Pasi Kortelainen (University of Helsinki) joined the ESL in 2003 to undertake a 6-week research project in mobile robotics, funded by IASTE.

Research visit by Sony K. Paul

Sony K. Paul (University of Leicester) joined the ESL in 2003, to undertake a 10-week programme of research looking at task guardians for time-triggered schedulers (funded by the Nuffield Foundation).

The photograph shows Sony in the ESL.

Quality of Service in Component-Based Software Engineering, 2003

Chisanga Mwelwa presented a prototype version of his pattern-based CASE tool at the workshop on "Quality of Service in Component-Based Software Engineering", held in Toulouse (France), June 20th, 2003.

Full publications details are as follows:

Mwelwa, C., Pont, M.J. and Ward, D. (2003) "Towards a CASE tool to support the development of reliable embedded systems using design patterns", paper presented at the workshop "Quality of Service in Component-Based Software Engineering", June 20th, 2003, Toulouse, France.

New PhD students, September 2002

Five new PhD students joined the ESL in September 2002 - welcome Dev, Tim, Simon, Chisanga and Teera.

Details of their projects is given below:

Development of a tool to support the design of real-time embedded control systems for X-by-Wire applications (Devaraj Ayavoo, supported by an ORS award and Pi Technology Limited).

An investigation into distributed fault-tolerant architectures for X-by-Wire applications (Timothy Edwards, supported by EPSRC and TRW Connekt Ltd).

Design and implementation of control systems using embedded processors with severe resource constraints (Simon Key, supported by EPSRC).

Development and assessment of a CASE tool to support the design and implementation of time-triggered embedded systems (Chisanga Mwelwa, supported by EPSRC and MIRA Ltd)

An investigation into scheduling schemes which combine low jitter and low power consumption (Teera Phatrapornnant, supported by the Government of Thailand).

9th International Symposium on Hardware / Software Co-Design, 2001

Royan Ong made a presentation at the 9th International Symposium on Hardware / Software Codesign, (April 25-27 2001) in Copenhagen.

Full publication details are given below

Ong, H.L.R and Pont, M.J. (2001) "Empirical comparison of software-based error detection and correction techniques for embedded systems", Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Hardware / Software Codesign, April 25-27 2001, Copenhagen, Denmark. Pp.230-235. Published by ACM Press, New York. ISBN: 1- 58113-364-2.

IEE Colloquium on Hardware-Software Co-Design, 8 December, 2000

Royan Ong and Michael Pont each gave presentations at the IEE colloquium on "hardware-software co-design" on 8 December 2000, in London.

Publication details are below

Ong, H.L.R., Pont, M.J., and Peasgood, W. (2000) "Hardware-software tradeoffs when designing microcontroller-based applications for high-EMI environments",IEE Colloquium on Hardware- Software Co-Design, Savoy Place, London, 8 December, 2000. IEE Colloquium Digests #111.

Pont, M.J. (2000) "Can patterns increase the reliability of embedded hardware- software co-designs?", IEE Colloquium on Hardware-Software Co-Design, Savoy Place, London, 8 December, 2000. IEE Colloquium Digests #111.

Invited presentation, IEE East Midlands, 24 March, 1999

Michael Pont gave an invited talk entitled "Patterns for embedded systems" to IEE East Midland Centre (Lincolnshire Panel), 24 March, 1999.

First ESL presentation ...

The first public presentation by a member of (what is now) the Embedded Systems Laboratory took place in 1987 (in Southampton).

Author: Michael J. Pont.
This document has been approved by the Head of Department.
If you are an authorised user you may edit this document through your Web browser.