O trabalho trata do projeto e do desenvolvimento de um processador de baixo consumo de potência, de forma simplificada, explorando técnicas de microarquitetura, para atingir menor consumo de potência. É apresentada uma sequência lógica de desenvolvimento, a partir de conceitos e estruturas básicas, até chegar a estruturas mais complexas e, por fim, mostrar a microarquitetura completa do processador. Esse novo modelo de processador é comparado com estudos prévios de três processadores, sendo o primeiro modelo síncrono, o segundo assíncrono e o terceiro uma versão melhorada do primeiro modelo, que inclui minimizações de registradores e circuitos. Uma nova metodologia de criação de padring de microcontroladores, baseada em reuso de informações de projetos anteriores, é apresentada. Essa nova metodologia foi criada para a rápida prototipagem e para diminuir possíveis erros na geração do código do padring. Comparações de resultados de consumo de potência e área são apresentadas para o processador desenvolvido e resultados obtidos com a nova metodologia de geração de padring também são apresentados. Para o processador, um modelo, no qual se utilizam múltiplos barramentos para minimizar o número de ciclos de máquina por instrução, é apresentado. Também foram ressaltadas estruturas que podem ser otimizadas e circuitos que podem ser reaproveitados para diminuir a quantidade de circuito necessário na implementação. Por fim, a nova implementação é comparada com os três modelos anteriores; os ganhos obtidos de desempenho com a implementação dessas estruturas foram de 18% que, convertidos em consumo de potência, representam economia de 13% em relação ao melhor caso dos processadores comparados. A tecnologia utilizada no desenvolvimento dos processadores foi CMOS 250nm da TSMC. / This work is a development and implementation of a low power processor in a simplified way, exploring microarchitecture techniques to achieve low power consumption. A logic sequence of design flow is presented, starting from basic concepts and circuit structures incrementing these concepts and structures to achieve a complex microarchitecture of a processor. A new methodology for microcontroller padring creations based in reuse of previous project information is presented. This new methodology was developed for fast prototyping and decreases the possible error in generation of microcontroler padring code creation. This new microarchitecture is compared with three previous processors, one is an original synchronous version, the second is an asynchronous version, and the third is based on the first model with register and circuit minimizations. Results of area and power consumption are compared with this new proposed architecture. The new model uses multiple buses with access timing tuned for different internal blocks. This timing tuning decrease the number of machine cycle necessary per instruction. In addition, it presents some macro block circuit partition and circuit reuse to minimize the circuit necessary for implementation. The gain obtained in performance with these new structures was 18%, converting to power consumption, it represent a decrease in 13% in relation with the best of three processor compared. The technology used in the development of these processors was CMOS 250nm from TSMC.

O espectrofotômetro, aparelho muito utilizado para realizar leituras de absorbância e/ou transmitância de amostras laboratoriais, pode ser aplicado para a realização de leituras do dosímetro químico Fricke Xilenol Gel. Este aparelho, por possuir componentes eletrônicos avançados e ser importado, apresenta um custo elevado e acaba muitas vezes se tornando um dispositivo inviável para medidas mais simples e rotineiras. O presente estudo implementou-se um aparelho portátil e de baixo custo, para que medidas específicas de absorbância possam ser feitas em laboratórios de ensino de física e que possa ser aplicado como leitor de dosímetros géis, como o acima citado. Este monoespectrofotômetro é constituído por uma fonte LED (próximo a 590 nm), um fotodiodo para avaliação da intensidade da luz transmitida e um display de LCD. Tal leitor permite a comunicação com microcomputadores via porta USB, facilitando o trabalho do usuário para manipular os resultados das medidas. A principal finalidade é voltada para uso acadêmico, no entanto, devido ao seu baixo custo e simplicidade, poderá também ser direcionado para atender outros segmentos como ambulatorial, industrial, cosmético, biológico, agronômico, dentre outros. / The spectrophotometer, a device often used to perform absorbance readings and or transmittance of laboratory samples, can be applied to perform readings in the chemical dosimeter Fricke Xylenol Gel. This device, once it has advanced electronics components and is imported, has an elevated cost and often ends up becoming an impractical device for most simple measurements and routine. This study implemented a device portable and inexpensive, so that specific measurements absorbance can be made in teaching laboratories of physics and that can be applied as a gel dosimeter reader, like the above. This monospectrophotometer consists of a LED source of visible light (near 590 nm), a photodiode to assess the intensity of transmitted light and an LCD display. This reader allows communication with computers via USB port, making it easier for users to manipulate the results of the measurements. The main purpose is directed for academic use, however, due to its low cost and simplicity, may also be applied to attend other segments such as outpatient, industrial, cosmetic, biological, agronomic, among others.

Resumo: Na indústria moderna, a precisão e o custo são fundamentais para a qualidade do produto e competitividade no mercado. Desenvolver sistemas mais velozes, dinâmicos e autoajustáveis aplicando técnicas de controle é um objetivo dos pesquisadores de todas as áreas da engenharia. A retificação de materiais é um sistema complexo que possui muitas variáveis relacionadas, principalmente por possuir múltiplas arestas de corte associado a altas velocidades e potências de retificação. Para aumentar o domínio sobre o processo, sinais de emissão acústica e de potência de acionamento do rebolo têm sido monitorados em várias pesquisas. Nesse trabalho foram realizadas experiências utilizando a retificação plana tangencial com o aço ABNT 1020 e rebolo de óxido de alumínio, onde foi determinado a ocorrência e o início da queima através da variação da profundidade de corte, tendo-se o cuidado de manter os outros parâmetros constantes, inclusive a superfície de corte do rebolo através da operação de dressagem. Os sinais de emissão acústica e de potência elétrica foram adquiridos durante uma passada do rebolo sobre a peça, numa taxa de 2.5 milhões de amostras por segundo, e pro cessados através de um ferramental matemático, onde foram propostos outros parâmetros, para a análise da ocorrência da queima. Observou-se também a detecção do início da queima, onde o parâmetro proposto VARPO obteve bons resultados. Paralelamente foi realizado um estudo sobre os microcontroladores, onde foram inseridos os cálculos de detecção da queima do processo de retificação num PIC18F452, mostrando a viabilidade de um monitoramento. / Abstract: In modern industry, the accuracy and cost are extremely important to the quality of product and market competition. The development of faster dynamic and robust systems by applying control techniques is the goal of researchers of all engineering areas. The grinding process is a complex system which contains many related variables mainly because its multiple cutting edges associated with high speed and power. In order to improve the knowledge on the process, acoustic emission and power signals have been monitored in several research investigations. In this work, surface grinding tests with ABNT 1020 steel and aluminum oxide grinding wheel were carried out in which the burning occurrence as well as the onset of it were studied. This was done by varying the depth of cut and maintaining the other grinding parameters constant, including the grinding wheel surface through the dressing operation. Acoustic emission and electrical power signals were acquired during a single grinding pass of the grinding wheel over the work-piece at 2.5 million of samples per second rate. The signals were digitally processed through many statistic algorithms among which new parameters for burn detection have been proposed. Also, the onset of burning occurrence was observed and remarkably detected for the proposed parameter dubbed VARPO. In addition, a study on microcontrollers was performed, and the implementation of the algorithms previously mentioned were carried out into the microcontroller PIC18F452, showing the monitoring feasibility. / Orientador: Paulo Roberto de Aguiar / Coorientador: Eduardo Carlos Bianchi / Banca: Paulo José Amaral Serni / Banca: Leonardo Roberto da Silva / Mestre

De tout temps, l’Homme s’est vu contraint de protéger les fruits de sa créativité et les domaines concernant sa sécurité. Ses informations sont souvent sensibles, dans les relations politiques et commerciales notamment. Aussi, la nécessité de les protéger en les rendant opaques au regard d’adversaires ou de concurrents est vite survenue. Depuis l’Antiquité, les procédés de masquages et enfin de cryptages furent nombreux. Les techniques de protection, depuis l’époque industrielle n’ont fait que croître pour voir apparaître, durant la seconde guerre mondiale, l’archétype des machines électromécaniques (telle l’Enigma), aux performances réputées inviolables. De nos jours, les nouveaux circuits de protection embarquent des procédés aux algorithmes hyper performants. Malgré toutes ces protections, les produits restent la cible privilégiée des « pirates » qui cherchent à casser par tous les moyens les structures de sécurisation, en vue d’utilisations frauduleuses. Ces « hackers » disposent d’une multitude de techniques d’attaques, l’une d’elles utilise un procédé par injections de fautes à l’aide d’un faisceau laser. Dès le début de ce manuscrit (Chapitre I), l’état de l’art de l’injection de fautes sera développé, en se focalisant sur celles faite à l’aide d’un faisceau laser. Ceci aidera à bien appréhender ces procédés intrusifs et ainsi protéger au mieux les microcontrôleurs sécurisés contre ces types d’attaques. Il est nécessaire de bien comprendre les phénomènes physiques mis en jeu lors de l’interaction entre une onde de lumière cohérente, tels les lasers et le matériau physico-chimique qu’est le silicium. De la compréhension de ces phénomènes, une modélisation électrique des portes CMOS sous illumination laser a été mise en oeuvre pour prévoir leurs comportements (chapitre II). De bonnes corrélations ont pu être obtenues entre mesures et simulations électrique. Ces résultats peuvent permettre de tester la sensibilité au laser de portes CMOS au travers de cartographies de simulation. De cette meilleure compréhension des phénomènes et de ce simulateur mis en place, de nombreuses contre-mesures ont été imaginées. Les nouvelles techniques développées, présentées dans ce manuscrit, donnent déjà des pistes pour accroître la robustesse des circuits CMOS contre des attaques laser. D’ores et déjà, ce travail a permis la mise en oeuvre de détecteurs lasers embarqués sur les puces récentes, renforçant ainsi sensiblement la sécurité des produits contre une attaque de type laser. / From time immemorial, human beings have been forced to protect the fruits of their creativity and ensure the security of their property. This information is very often strategic, in particular in political and commercial relationships. Also the need to protect this information by keeping it concealed in regards to enemies or competitors soon appeared. From ancient times, the methods used for masking and eventually encrypting information were numerous. Protection techniques have only advanced grown since the industrial era and have led to the precursor of electro-mechanic machines (such as the famous Enigma machine). Nowadays, new protection circuitry embeds very efficient algorithms. Despite these protections, they remain a prime target for « attackers » who try to break through all means of securing structures, for fraudulent uses. These « attackers » have a multitude of attack techniques. One of them uses a method of fault injections using a laser beam. From the beginning (Chapter I), this manuscript describes the state of the art of fault injections, focusing on those made using a laser beam. It explains these intrusive methods and provides information on how to protect even the most secure microcontrollers against these types of attacks. It is necessary to understand the physical phenomena involved in the interaction between a coherent light wave, such as lasers, and the physicochemical material that makes up a microcontroller. To better understanding these phenomena, an electrical modeling of CMOS gates under laser illumination was implemented to predict their behavior (Chapter II). Good correlations have been obtained between measurements and electrical simulation. These results can be used to test the laser sensitivity of CMOS gates through electrical cartographies. Due to the better understanding of the phenomena and the developed simulator, many countermeasures have been developed. The techniques presented in this manuscript offer new possibilities to increase the robustness of CMOS circuits against laser attacks. This work has already enabled the implementation of efficient counter-measures on embedded laser sensors and significantly enhanced product security against different laser attacks.

A contribuiÃÃo das fontes de energias renovÃveis na matriz energÃtica mundial està aumentando rapidamente. No Brasil, a capacidade instalada de energia eÃlica atingiu 1 GW em maio de 2011 e os investimentos para projetos eÃlicos com entrada em operaÃÃo atà 2013 somam R$ 25 bilhÃes. Sistemas de aquisiÃÃo de dados sÃo essenciais para a estimaÃÃo do potencial energÃtico do local onde a planta de energia renovÃvel serà instalada, como o exemplo da geraÃÃo eÃlica, onde à exigido um grande volume de dados de anos anteriores a fim de obter modelos precisos dos recursos energÃticos do local. De uma forma semelhante para a geraÃÃo fotovoltaica, pode nÃo haver uma retribuiÃÃo do valor do investimento, caso o local de instalaÃÃo da planta possua um baixo potencial de energia solar. Tendo em vista esta necessidade, à descrito na presente dissertaÃÃo o desenvolvimento de um sistema de aquisiÃÃo de dados para o monitoramento de plantas de energias renovÃveis descentralizadas. Este sistema consiste de uma unidade baseada em um microcontrolador para o armazenamento local de informaÃÃes, permitindo a transmissÃo para internet via modem, onde os dados sÃo gravados em um servidor de banco de dados. A unidade microcontrolada possui uma arquitetura facilmente estendida para realizar o controle de plantas de energias renovÃveis atravÃs do programa Matlab/Simulink. Uma implementaÃÃo prÃtica à apresentada atravÃs da utilizaÃÃo de um estimador dos mÃnimos quadrados nÃo recursivos para calcular a funÃÃo de transferÃncia de uma planta de bombeamento, permitindo um controle preciso da vazÃo de Ãgua atravÃs de um controlador PI. CorrelaÃÃes e testes de desempenho sÃo usados para comparar os dados coletados pelo protÃtipo com os dados de um equipamento comercial. Os resultados indicam um erro quadrÃtico mÃdio de 0,103 m/s, para a mediÃÃo de velocidade de vento e o fator de correlaÃÃo superior a 0,9996. No conjunto, as baixas taxas de erros indicam que os dados foram armazenados de uma forma praticamente semelhante ao que seria esperado com base em equipamentos comerciais. Finalmente, a possibilidade de uso comercial do projeto à apresentada, permitindo a utilizaÃÃo de um protÃtipo para promover uma maior eficiÃncia na transmissÃo de dados em uma torre meteorolÃgica da PetrobrÃs em Paracuru - CE, Brasil. / The contribution of renewable energy in world energy production is increasing rapidly. In Brazil, the installed capacity of wind power reached 1 GW in May 2011 and the investments for projects with start-up until 2013 are R$ 25 billion. Data acquisition systems are essential to estimate the energy potential of renewable energy plants, the wind power production as an example, require a large volume of data available from past years in order to derive accurate models of the renewable energy. In a similar way, if the photovoltaic generation system is installed in a place of a low solar potential, the project is unable to repay the value of the investment. Therewith, the development of a data acquisition system for decentralized renewable energy sources monitoring is described in the present dissertation. The system has a microcontroller-based unit for local storing and data transmission to internet by a modem and a database server is used to store the data. The proposed architecture is easily extended for controlling a decentralized renewable energy plant by the Matlab/Simulink program. A practical implementation is presented with the utilization of a non-recursive least square algorithm estimator to estimate the transfer function of a pumping plant and allowing an accurate control of water flow by the use of a PI controller. Correlations and performance tests are used to compare the data collected by the system prototype with the data collected by commercial equipment. The results indicate that the root mean square error is 0.103 m/s, for wind speed measurement and the correlation factor is greater than 0.9996. Overall, the low errors rates indicate that the data have been stored on to a broadly similar form to what would be expected based in a commercial equipment. Finally, the possibility of a commercial use of this project is presented to improvement of data transmission efficiency in a meteorological tower of PetrobrÃs in Paracuru - CE, Brasil.

Universidade Federal do Cearà / Este trabalho apresenta a concepÃÃo, projeto e implementaÃÃo de um conversor CC/CC elevador para interligar um painel fotovoltaico a um banco de ultracapacitores para armazenamento de energia em substituiÃÃo Ãs baterias automotivas convencionais. Na saÃda dos ultracapacitores utiliza-se um conversor CC/CC abaixador, que fornece essa energia a um sistema de telecomunicaÃÃo para suprimento de um transceptor monocanal visando ao atendimento do serviÃo de telefonia rural/Internet em comunidades isoladas da rede pÃblica de energia. O sistema pode suprir o serviÃo de comunicaÃÃo para uma comunidade isolada da rede de energia elÃtrica por atà trÃs horas no perÃodo noturno, quando utilizado um equipamento rÃdio com cabos, conectores e antena para transmissÃo e recepÃÃo de sinal de telefonia com potÃncia de consumo de 13 W e com radiaÃÃo solar mÃdia de 5.500 W/m2/dia. Durante o dia, a energia solar à capturada por um painel fotovoltaico e armazenada em ultracapacitores atravÃs de um conversor boost. Este conversor possibilita a carga dos ultracapacitores no ponto de mÃxima potÃncia (MPP) do painel fotovoltaico. O transceptor à ativado quando se tira o fone do gancho e a alimentaÃÃo do sistema vem do painel via ultracapacitores. Caso haja ligaÃÃes durante o dia, o painel fotovoltaico supre as necessidades do equipamento transceptor. à noite, o painel utilizado nÃo gera energia suficiente para alimentar o sistema de telecomunicaÃÃo. No perÃodo noturno, caso ocorra uma chamada telefÃnica para o sistema proposto, o transceptor serà acionado, o assinante deverà retirar o monofone do gancho do aparelho telefÃnico para realizar o atendimento. Durante essa operaÃÃo o transceptor consome aproximadamente 13 W de potÃncia, que à fornecida pelos ultracapacitores, os quais estÃo interligados atravÃs do conversor buck. O sistema proposto à controlado por um microcontrolador e um circuito de controle, que procura o ponto de mÃxima potÃncia (MPP) do painel fotovoltaico, monitora o nÃvel da tensÃo dos ultracapacitores e determina o tempo de funcionamento do conversor CC/CC, que possibilita o fornecimento de energia para o transceptor pelos ultracapacitores. / This work presents the conception, design and implementation of a DC/DC boost converter to connect a photovoltaic panel to a bank of ultracapacitors for energy storage to replace the conventional automotive batteries. In the output of ultracapacitors a DC/DC step-down converter is used. This converter provides power to a telecommunication system for the supply of a single channel transceiver with the purpose of providing the services of rural telephony and Internet in isolated communities from the public energy grid. The system can provide the communication service to a isolated community from the power grid for up to three hours at night when used with radio equipment with cables, connectors and antenna for transmitting and receiving phone signal with consumption power of 13 W and with solar radiation rate of 5.500 W/m2/day. During the day solar energy is captured by a photovoltaic panel and stored in ultracapacitors through a boost converter. This converter enables ultracapacitors to charge at the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic panel. The transceiver is activated when the phone is taken off the hook and the system power comes from the panel via ultracapacitors. If there are calls during the day, the photovoltaic panel meets the needs of the transceiver. At night, the panel used does not generate enough energy to power the telecommunication system. At night, if there is a phone call to the proposed system, the transceiver will be triggered, and the subscriber should take the handset off the hook to answer an incoming call. During this operation, the transceiver consumes approximately 13 W of power, which is provided by ultracapacitors that are interconnected through the buck converter. The proposed system is controlled by a microcontroller and a control circuit which tracks the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic panel, monitors the voltage level of ultracapacitors and determines the operating time of the DC/DC converter which enables the provision of power to the transceiver by the ultracapacitors.This work presents the conception, design and implementation of a DC/DC boost converter to connect a photovoltaic panel to a bank of ultracapacitors for energy storage to replace the conventional automotive batteries. In the output of ultracapacitors a DC/DC step-down converter is used. This converter provides power to a telecommunication system for the supply of a single channel transceiver with the purpose of providing the services of rural telephony and Internet in isolated communities from the public energy grid. The system can provide the communication service to a isolated community from the power grid for up to three hours at night when used with radio equipment with cables, connectors and antenna for transmitting and receiving phone signal with consumption power of 13 W and with solar radiation rate of 5.500 W/m2/day. During the day solar energy is captured by a photovoltaic panel and stored in ultracapacitors through a boost converter. This converter enables ultracapacitors to charge at the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic panel. The transceiver is activated when the phone is taken off the hook and the system power comes from the panel via ultracapacitors. If there are calls during the day, the photovoltaic panel meets the needs of the transceiver. At night, the panel used does not generate enough energy to power the telecommunication system. At night, if there is a phone call to the proposed system, the transceiver will be triggered, and the subscriber should take the handset off the hook to answer an incoming call. During this operation, the transceiver consumes approximately 13 W of power, which is provided by ultracapacitors that are interconnected through the buck converter. The proposed system is controlled by a microcontroller and a control circuit which tracks the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic panel, monitors the voltage level of ultracapacitors and determines the operating time of the DC/DC converter which enables the provision of power to the transceiver by the ultracapacitors.This work presents the conception, design and implementation of a DC/DC boost converter to connect a photovoltaic panel to a bank of ultracapacitors for energy storage to replace the conventional automotive batteries. In the output of ultracapacitors a DC/DC step-down converter is used. This converter provides power to a telecommunication system for the supply of a single channel transceiver with the purpose of providing the services of rural telephony and Internet in isolated communities from the public energy grid. The system can provide the communication service to a isolated community from the power grid for up to three hours at night when used with radio equipment with cables, connectors and antenna for transmitting and receiving phone signal with consumption power of 13 W and with solar radiation rate of 5.500 W/m2/day. During the day solar energy is captured by a photovoltaic panel and stored in ultracapacitors through a boost converter. This converter enables ultracapacitors to charge at the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic panel. The transceiver is activated when the phone is taken off the hook and the system power comes from the panel via ultracapacitors. If there are calls during the day, the photovoltaic panel meets the needs of the transceiver. At night, the panel used does not generate enough energy to power the telecommunication system. At night, if there is a phone call to the proposed system, the transceiver will be triggered, and the subscriber should take the handset off the hook to answer an incoming call. During this operation, the transceiver consumes approximately 13 W of power, which is provided by ultracapacitors that are interconnected through the buck converter. The proposed system is controlled by a microcontroller and a control circuit which tracks the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic panel, monitors the voltage level of ultracapacitors and determines the operating time of the DC/DC converter which enables the provision of power to the transceiver by the ultracapacitors.

Capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) is widely used to detect both the presence and concentration of fluorescently labeled biomolecules. In CE-LIF, a plug of sample fluid is electrophoretically driven down a microchannel using a high voltage applied between the opposite ends of the microchannel. Molecules of different sizes and charge states travel at different velocities down the channel. Laser light with a wavelength in the excitation band of the fluorophores is focused near the end of the channel. As each species of molecule passes through the laser spot, the fluorophores emit a fluorescence signal which is measured with an optical detector. Commercial CE-LIF systems are available as a complete, expensive package. Custom CE-LIF systems are a collection of commercially available components that meet the specific needs of the end user. Using the custom system in Dr. Woolley's lab as the standard, we hypothesized that 3D printed parts in conjunction with low-cost components could be used to significantly reduce costs and simplify the system, which in turn would make such systems more widely available with a lower barrier to entry. Testing this hypothesis began with five semesters of small teams of senior undergraduate students trying to design and assemble a low-cost CE-LIF system as part of their mandatory one-semester senior project. I was one of the seniors who worked on the system. Although none of the senior project teams were successful, a partially functioning system was ultimately produced. I reference this system as the starting point system throughout this thesis, which is focused on identifying and solving the system's obstacles in order to reach a working state. I re-designed and re-built each sub-system of the starting point system as needed if within the available budget to create a system that was functional. Budgetary constraints were included in evaluating potential improvements. The end goal was to compare the improved system's performance with that of an expensive conventional system (hereinafter referred to as the standard system) available in Dr. Adam Woolley's laboratory on the Brigham Young University campus. The ultimate conclusion of my masters' thesis work is that a low-cost CE-LIF system based on 3D printed and low-cost components results in a system that does not offer repeatable performance. In the course of my work, many lessons were learned as to what would reduce overall system costs while maintaining a user-friendly experience. My analysis is given on a subsystem basis to explain what limited the ability of the system to run consistently or what caused it to fail altogether. Details and methodology of my contributions including circuits designed, code written, components used, and 3D models printed in order to test the hypothesis are documented. Attribution of the work prior to mine is laid out when each subsystem is broken down in detail for the failure modes that prevented consistent operation. Future work is suggested to correct the problems encountered and provide a path forward to implement a next-generation system that can be achieved at a lower cost compared to a conventional system, and yet which does not suffer from the performance problems associated with the version explored in this thesis in which maximum cost reduction was aggressively pursued.

<p>The use of microcontrollers and FPGAs is getting more and more wide spread in electronic designs. A recent developmenthas been to implement microcontrollers onboard the FPGA, there are a lot of benefits but also disadvantages with this. Often the microcontroler requires a lot of resources in the expensive FPGA. This is where PicoBlaze, a microcontroller provided by Xilinx, fits in. It is designed with one main object, keep it as small and powerful as possible. </p><p>In this report PicoBlaze is evaluated and documented. Two implementations have been done. One smaller to show how to use PicoBlaze and one larger implementation of an Ethernet network interface. The function of the implementations have been verified on a experiment board utilizing a Virtex-II FPGA. </p><p>The conclusion is that PicoBlaze is a very powerful microcontroller in comparison to the resources it uses on the FPGA. It uses only a little more than 80 slices on a Virtex II FPGA. This is its main advantage, the disadvantages of PicoBlaze is its limited program memory and the limited address space.</p>

<p>This thesis project was carried out at Volvo Car Corporation. It is based on an EU project called Locust in which a bio-inspired visual sensor system (the Locust sensor system) for automotive collision avoidance was developed. The Locust sensor system is designed to emulate the collision avoidance functionality of the Locust grasshopper, which is well-known for its extraordinary vision based collision avoidance ability, in particular with regard to its fast reaction times to perceived threats. Volvo Car Corporation is interested in the possibility of using the bio-inspired technology developed in the Locust project to improve its already existing collision avoidance systems. Pedestrian collision avoidance is of high interest, for which the properties of the Locust grasshopper are desirable.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis project is to develop two demonstrator vehicles to test the performance of the Locust sensor system, carry out the testing, and evaluate its usability for Volvo Car Corporation. The first vehicle is a scale 1:5 model car that was originally developed in a thesis project at KTH, and the second a full scale Volvo XC90.</p><p>It was found in the testing that the Locust sensor system is promising for pedestrian collision avoidance applications. The results for detecting other vehicles were also acceptable, but Volvo Car Corporation already has other collision avoidance systems with better performance in this regard. In general the test results were very good for speeds up to about 40 km/h. This indicates that the Locust sensor system would be most usable in a city driving environment, parking lot situations, and for driving in residential areas.</p>

<p>This thesis aims to develop a control system for measuring electromagnetic compability (EMC). This has meant that a controller designed around an ATmega8 microcontroller has been manufactured and programmed. It has also meant the development of a comprehensive control software in the program MATLAB. The control system has been tested with satisfactory results and can now, monitor and control measurements of the EMC-type.</p> / <p>Detta examensarbete syftar till att utveckla ett styrsystem för mätning av elektromagnetisk kompabilitet (EMC). Detta har inneburit att ett styrkort uppbyggt kring en ATmega8 mikrokontroller har tillverkats och programmerats. Det har även inneburet utveckling av en övergripande kontrollmjukvara i programmet MATLAB. Styrsystemet har testats med tillfredsställande resultat och kan nu, övervaka och kontrollera mätningar av EMC-typ.</p>