This master thesis discusses about designing and realization of a control system for a 6-axis robotic arm. The controlling system consist in a microcontroller LPC1756 with its firmware implemented under the Real-time operating system FreeRTOS and GUI application, running on a PC. The Microcontroller communicates with the PC through a serial line via SLIP protocol. Theoretically, it will deal with an explanation of the important terms, and describes the used robotic arm and its controlling unit. The practical part describes kinematics problems solving, firmware’s realization and GUI application.

Numerous techniques are used to study the magnetic history and properties of rocks, which provides important data on the Earth’s interior. In this study we conducted a series of experiments on two different sample sets, comprising pure magnetite (Set1) and a mixture of magnetite-hemoilmenite-bearing quartzite (Set2), in order to gather information about their magnetic susceptibility and remanent magnetization. A miniature diamond anvil cell (mDAC) constructed from hardened non-magnetic alloy (40HNU) was used for high pressure experiments. With the help of high sensitivity susceptibility bridge (MFK1-FA Kappabridge, AGICO), we measured the susceptibility of three samples and of the mDAC. Consequently, we loaded one of the samples in the mDAC and acquired susceptibility measurements during the compression and decompression of the system. For remanence measurements we used a 2G Enterprises SQUID magnetometer. We measured the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) and performed alternating field (AF) demagnetization on ten samples and on the mDAC. Additionally, isothermal and anhysteretic remanent magnetization (IRM and ARM) acquisition were performed on nine and one samples, respectively and demagnetization on three and one samples, respectively. Results showed that Set1 samples consist of both SD and MD magnetite grains. Regarding Set2 samples, the main magnetic carriers are SD and MD magnetite or titanium bearing magnetite grains, while there are indications that hematite and ferrimagnetic titanohematite might be present as well. The presence of eddy currents, due to the conducting materials of the mDAC, resulted in masking the signal of the sample making it difficult to draw any safe conclusions regarding how the susceptibility of the sample changes with pressure. All in all, there was a satisfactory response of the instruments working with very small amounts of material and an adequate signal stability of both the samples and the mDAC. Our study provided us with an insight into high pressure experiments and showed possible directions for future studies. / Många metoder används för att studera magnetiska egenskaper i berg, vilket ger viktig information om Jordens inre. I denna studie genomförde vi en rad experiment på två olika uppsättningar prov, innefattande ren magnetit (Set1) och en blandning av magnetit-hemoilmenit-bärande kvartsit (Set2), för att samla information om deras magnetisk susceptibilitet och magnetiska remanens. En miniatyr diamantstädcell (mDAC) konstruerad av en härdad icke-magnetisk legering (40HNU) användes för högtrycksexperiment. Susceptibilitetet av tre prover och av mDAC mättes en MFK1-FA Kappabridge, AGICO. Följaktligen monterade vi ett av proverna i mDAC och vi genomförde susceptibilitetsmätningar under kompression och dekompression. Vi använde en 2G Enterprises SQUID magnetometer för remanensmätningar. Den naturlig remanentmagnetiseringen (NRM) mättes och vi utförde alternerande fält (AF) demagnetisering på tio prover och på mDAC. Dessutom genomfördes isotermisk och anhysteretisk remanentmagnetisering (IRM och ARM) på nio respektive ett prover, och demagnetisering på tre respektive ett prover. Resultaten visade att Set1-prover består av både enkeldomän (SD) och multidomän (MD) magnetit. SD och MD magnetit- och titanomagnetitkorn är de viktigaste magnetiska mineral av Set2-prover, medan finns det indikationer på att hematit och ferrimagnetisk titanohematit också bidrar till signal. Virvelströmmar, som skapats av mDACs ledande material, maskerade provets magnetiska susceptibilitet och det var svårt att kommentera på hur provets susceptibilitet förändras med tryck. Sammantaget var instrumentens prestanda tillfredsställande, även vid små mängder material. Prov och mDACs signalstabilitet var också adekvat. Vår studie gav oss en inblick i högtrycksexperiment och magnetiska egenskaper och den visade möjliga riktningar för framtida studier.

Digital Signal Processing(DSP) algorithms are widely implemented in real time systems.In fields such as digital music technology, many of these said algorithms areimplemented, often in combination, to achieve the desired functionality. When itcomes to implementation, DSP algorithms are performance critical as they havetight deadlines. In this thesis, performance optimization using Single InstructionMultiple Data(SIMD) vectorization technique is performed on the ARM Cortex-A15 architecture for six commonly used DSP algorithms; Gain, Mix, Gain and Mix,Complex Number Multiplication, Envelope Detection and Cascaded IIR Filter. Toensure optimal performance, the instructions should be scheduled with minimalpipeline stalls. This requires execution time to be measured with fine time granularity.First, a technique of accurately measuring the execution time using thecycle counter of the processor’s Performance Management Unit(PMU) along withsynchronization barriers is developed. It was found that the execution time measuredby using the operating system calls have high variations and very low timegranularity, whereas the cycle counter method was accurate and produced reliableresults. The cost associated with the cycle counter method is 75 clock cycles. Usingthis technique, the contribution by each SIMD instruction towards the executiontime is measured and is used to schedule the instructions. This thesis also presentsa guideline on how to schedule instructions which have data dependencies usingthe cycle counter timing execution time measurement technique, to ensure that thepipeline stalls are minimized. The algorithms are also modified, if needed, to favorvectorization and are implemented using ARM architecture specific SIMD instructions.These implementations are then compared to that which are automaticallyproduced by the compiler’s auto-vectorization feature. The execution times of theSIMD implementations was much lower compared to that produced by the compilerand the speedup ranged from 2.47 to 5.11. Also, the performance increaseis significant when the instructions are scheduled in an optimal way. This thesisconcludes that the auto-vectorized code does poorly for complex algorithms andproduces code with a lot of data dependencies causing pipeline stalls, even with fulloptimizations enabled. Using the guidelines presented in this thesis for schedulingthe instructions, the performance of the DSP algorithms have significant improvementscompared to their auto-vectorized counterparts. / Digitala signalbehandlingsalgoritmer(DSP) implementeras ofta i realtidssystem. Inomfält som exempelvis digital musikteknik används dessa algoritmer, ofta i olika kombinationer,för att ge önskad funktionalitet. Implementationen av DSP-algoritmerär prestandakritisk eftersom systemen ofta har små tidsmarginaler. I det härexamensarbetet genomförs prestandaoptimering med Single Instruction MultipleData(SIMD)-vektorisering på en ARM A15-arkitektur för 6 vanliga DSP-algoritmer;volym, mix, volym och mix, multiplikation av komplexa tal, amplituddetektering,och seriekopplade IIR-filter. Maximal optimering av algoritmerna kräver ocksåatt antalet pipeline stalls i processorn minimeras. För att kunna observera dettakrävs att exekveringstiden kan mätas med hög tidsupplösning. I det här examensarbeteutvecklas först en teknik för att mäta exekveringstiden med hjälp aven klockcykelräknare i processorns Performance Management Unit(PMU) tillsammansmed synkroniseringsbarriärer. Tidsmätning med hjälp av operativsystemsfunktionervisade sig ha sämre noggrannhet och tidsupplösning än metoden medatt räkna klockcykler, som gav tillförlitliga resultat. Den extra exekveringstidenför klockcykelräkning uppmättes till 75 klockcykler. Med den här tekniken är detmöjligt att mäta hur mycket varje SIMD-instruktion bidrar till den totala exekveringstiden.Examensarbete presenterar också en metod att ordna instruktioner somhar databeroenden sinsemellan med hjälp av ovanstående tidsmätningsmetod, såatt antalet pipeline stalls minimeras. I de fall det behövdes, skrevs koden till algoritmernaom för att bättre kunna utnyttja ARM-arkitekturens specifika SIMDinstruktioner.Dessa jämfördes sedan med resultaten från kompilatorns automatgenereradevektoriseringkod. Exekveringstiden för SIMD-implementationerna varsignifikant kortare än för de kompilatorgenererade och visade på en förbättring påmellan 2,47 och 5,11 gånger, mätt i exekveringstid. Resultaten visade också på entydlig förbättring när instruktionerna exekveras i en optimal ordning. Resultatenvisar att automatgenererad vektorisering presterar sämre för komplexa algoritmeroch producerar maskinkod med signifikanta databeroenden som orsakar pipelinestalls, även med optimeringsflaggor påslagna. Med hjälp av metoder presenteradei det här examensarbete kan prestandan i DSP-algoritmer förbättras betydligt ijämförelse med automatgenererad vektorisering.

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The rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has brought unparalleled convenience and efficiency to our daily lives. However, with this exponential growth comes the pressing need to address the critical security challenges posed by these interconnected devices. IoT devices are typically resource-constrained, lacking the robust computing power and memory capacity of traditional computing systems, which often leads to a lack of adequate security mechanisms and leaves them vulnerable to various attacks. This master’s thesis contributes by investigating a secure mechanism that utilizes the hardware isolation provided by the TrustZone technology found in ARM’s Cortex-M processors. TrustZone is a hardware-based security extension in ARM processors that enables a secure, isolated environment for executing sensitive code alongside a regular, non-secure operating system. This thesis uses this mechanism and implements a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) in the secure environment of TrustZone that monitors the resource usage of applications running in the non-secure operating system. The aim of the TEE is to monitor the network communication and the CPU usage of the applications running on the IoT device, protecting its integrity and detecting any abnormal behavior. The implementation is done inside the Contiki-NG operating system, a well-known operating system designed for constrained IoT devices. The thesis conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the developed security solution through extensive experiments using two micro-benchmarks. It analyzes the impact of the security mechanism on various aspects of the IoT device, such as runtime overhead, energy consumption, and memory requirements, while taking into account the resource constraints. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the security solution in identifying malicious activities and abnormal behaviors is thoroughly assessed. The findings demonstrate that the TrustZone-based security mechanism introduces relatively minimal overhead to the device’s operation, making it a viable option for IoT devices that can accommodate such slight performance impacts. The research sheds light on the critical issue of IoT device security, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions that consider the resource constraints of these devices. It presents an alternative solution that utilizes TrustZone’s hardware isolation to effectively monitor the applications running in IoT devices and opens a new approach to securing such kinds of devices. / Den snabba utvecklingen av Internet of Things (IoT)-enheter har gett oöverträffad bekvämlighet och effektivitet i våra dagliga liv. Men med denna exponentiella tillväxt kommer det trängande behovet att ta itu med de kritiska säkerhetsutmaningarna som dessa sammankopplade enheter utgör. IoT-enheter är vanligtvis resursbegränsade och saknar den robusta datorkraften och minneskapaciteten hos traditionella datorsystem, vilket ofta leder till brist på adekvata säkerhetsmekanismer och gör dem sårbara för olika attacker. Denna rapport bidrar genom att undersöka en säker mekanism som använder hårdvaruisoleringen som tillhandahålls av TrustZone-teknologin som finns i ARMs Cortex-M-processorer. TrustZone är ett hårdvarubaserad säkerhetstillägg i ARM-processorer som möjliggör en säker, isolerad miljö för exekvering av känslig kod tillsammans med ett vanligt, osäkrat operativsystem. Denna rapport använder denna mekanism och implementerar ett Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) i den säkra miljön i TrustZone som övervakar resursanvändningen av applikationer som körs i det osäkra operativsystemet. Syftet med TEE är att övervaka nätverkskommunikationen och CPU-användningen för de applikationer som körs på IoT-enheten, skydda dess integritet och upptäcka eventuellt onormalt beteende. Implementeringen görs i operativsystemet Contiki-NG, ett välkänt operativsystem designat för begränsade IoT-enheter. Rapporten genomför en omfattande utvärdering av den utvecklade säkerhetslösningen genom omfattande experiment med två mikroriktmärken. Den analyserar effekten av säkerhetsmekanismen på olika aspekter av IoTenheten, såsom overhead under drift, energiförbrukning och minneskrav, samtidigt som resursbegränsningarna tas i beaktande. Dessutom utvärderas effektiviteten grundligt hos säkerhetslösningen för att identifiera skadliga aktiviteter och onormala beteenden. Resultaten visar att den TrustZonebaserade säkerhetsmekanismen introducerar relativt minimal overhead för enhetens drift, vilket gör det till ett genomförbart alternativ för IoT-enheter som kan hantera en liten prestandapåverkan. Forskningen belyser den kritiska frågan om IoT-enhetssäkerhet och betonar behovet av skräddarsydda lösningar som tar hänsyn till dessa enheters resursbegränsningar. Den presenterar en alternativ lösning som använder TrustZones hårdvaruisolering för att effektivt övervaka applikationer som körs i IoT-enheter och öppnar ett nytt tillvägagångssätt för att säkra sådana typer av enheter.

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Master of Science / Department of Geology / Allen W. Archer / Abstract This study compares the tidally influenced facies found within the Tonganoxie Sandstone Member (Stranger Formation, Douglas Group) (Upper Pennsylvanian) of northeastern Kansas with similar facies directly observed in the upper intertidal mudflats of Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet (Alaska, USA). The two settings contain strikingly similar facies that are characteristic of upper macrotidal estuaries with a strong influence of tidal activities. Identical aspects and features found within both settings include rhythmic vertical variation in stratum thicknesses (cyclic tidal rhythmites), high estimated sedimentation and aggradation rates, and biogenic and physical sedimentary structures (e.g., drag marks, raindrop impressions, arthropod traces and tetrapod trackways, zigzag burrows, runoff washouts, and upright trees, among others). Tidal rhythmites are the most important evidence that is indicative of the tidal influence on the depositional processes of these two study areas. Such cyclic tidal rhythmites have been reported and described from several Carboniferous settings in the eastern USA. Modern analogs to these Carboniferous rhythmites are usually found within upper macrotidal estuarine depositional environments, especially within fluvio-estuarine transitional zones. These environments are distributed over a wide range of modern latitudes. Using cyclic tidal rhythmites as modern analogs for interpreting similar ancient facies is a powerful tool for paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions, although it is somewhat a new approach.

This thesis entails a detailed microstructure analysis of directionally solidified (DS) Al-7Si alloys processed in microgravity aboard the International Space Station and similar duplicate ground based experiments at Cleveland State University. In recent years, the European Space Agency (ESA) has conducted experiments on alloy solidification in microgravity. NASA and ESA have collaborated for three DS experiments with Al- 7 wt. % Si alloy, aboard the International Space Station (ISS) denoted as MICAST6, MICAST7 and MICAST12. The first two experiments were processed on the ISS in 2009 and 2010. MICAST12 was processed aboard the ISS in the spring of 2014; the resulting experimental results of MICAST12 are not discussed in this thesis. The primary goal of the thesis was to understand the effect of convection in primary dendrite arm spacings (PDAS) and radial macrosegregation within DS aluminum alloys. The MICAST experiments were processed with various solidification speeds and thermal gradients to produce alloy with differences in microstructure features. PDAS and radial macrosegregation were measured in the solidified ingot that developed during the transition from one solidification speed to another. To represent PDAS in DS alloy in the presence of no convection, the Hunt-Lu model was used to represent diffusion-controlled growth. By sectioning cross-sections throughout the entire length of solidified samples, PDAS was measured and calculated. The ground-based (1-g) experiments done at Cleveland State University CSU were also analyzed for comparison to the ISS experiments (0-g). During steady state in the microgravity environment, there was a reasonable agreement between the measured and calculated PDAS. In ground-based experiments, transverse sections exhibited obvious radial macrosegregation caused by thermosolutal convection resulting in a non-agreement with the Hunt- Lu model. Using a combination of image processing techniques and Electron Microprobe Analysis, the extent of radial macrosegregation was found to be a function of processing conditions and PDAS.

The tibialis anterior (TA) muscle plays a vital role in human movement such as walking and running. Overuse of TA during these movements leads to an increased susceptibility of injuries e.g. chronic exertional compartment syndrome. TA activation has been shown to be affected by increases in exercise, age, and the external environment (i.e. incline and footwear). Because activation parameters of TA change with condition, it leads to the interpretation that force changes occur too. However,activation is only an approximate indicator of force output of a muscle. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the parameters affecting accurate measure of TA force, leading to development of a subject-specific EMG-driven model, which takes into consideration specific methodological issues. The first study investigated the reasons why the tendon excursion and geometric method differ so vastly in terms of estimation of TA moment arm. Tendon length changes during the tendon excursion method, and location of the TA line of action and irregularities between talus and foot rotations during the geometric method, were found to affect the accuracy of TA moment arm measurement. A novel, more valid, method was proposed. The second study investigated the errors associated with methods used to account for plantar flexor antagonist co-contraction. A new approach was presented and shown to be, at worse, equivalent to current methods, but allows for accounting throughout the complete range of motion. The final study utilised the outputs from studies one and two to directly measure TA force in vivo. This was used to develop, and validate, an EMG-driven TA force model. Less error was found in the accuracy of estimating TA force when the contractile component length changes were modelled using the ankle, as opposed to the muscle. Overall, these findings increase our understanding of not only the mechanics associated with TA and the ankle, but also improves our ability to accurately monitor these.

Following a spinal cord injury (SCI), participation in regular exercise can enhance physical capacity and performance in activities of daily living. With this in mind, the use of subjective ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) may provide an easy-to-administer alternative to traditional methods of regulating exercise intensity (e.g. heart rate and power output (PO)). A physically active lifestyle is also associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, in part because exercise exerts anti-inflammatory effects. Examining the plasma response of inflammation-mediating chemical messengers, known as cytokines, to traditional and novel exercise modalities may help maximise the anti-inflammatory potential of regular exercise. Participants with a cervical level SCI successfully self-regulated a 20 min bout of moderate intensity wheelchair propulsion (Chapter three). No differences in physiological or PO responses were observed during the imposed-intensity and self-regulated wheelchair propulsion in the trained population group. In a non-SCI group of novice wheelchair-users, a differentiated RPE specific to the exercising muscle mass (RPEP) was the dominant perceptual signal during submaximal wheelchair propulsion (Chapter four). The novice group successfully self-regulated a 12 min bout of moderate intensity wheelchair propulsion, comprising of a discontinuous 3 x 4 min protocol, using differentiated RPEP. In contrast, a more accurate self-regulation of light intensity wheelchair propulsion was observed when employing traditional overall RPE compared to RPEP. Following strenuous wheelchair propulsion, plasma concentrations of the inflammation-mediating cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly elevated in non-SCI and thoracic level SCI participants (Chapter five). Impaired sympathetic nervous system (SNS) function was associated with a reduced IL-6 response in participants with a cervical level SCI. The plasma IL-6 response to 30 min moderate intensity (60% VO2peak) arm-crank ergometry (ACE) was associated with an elevation in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) independent of SNS activation (Chapter six). Light intensity ACE resulted in a small, significant plasma IL-6 response but no IL-1ra response. The addition of functional electrical stimulation-evoked lower-limb cycling to concurrent hand cycling, termed hybrid exercise, resulted in a greater plasma IL-6 response compared to moderate intensity hand cycling alone in participants with a thoracic level SCI (Chapter seven).