Nowadays, FPGAs are large enough to host entire system-on-chip designs, wherein a soft core processor is often an integral part. High performance of the processor is always desirable, so there is an interest in finding faster solutions.This report aims to describe the work and results performed by Karl Bengtson and Olof Andersson at ISY. The task was to continue the development of a soft core microprocessor, originally created by Andreas Ehliar. The first step was to decide a more widely adopted instruction set for the processor. The choice fell upon the MIPS32 instruction set. The main work of the project has been focused on implementing support for MIPS32, allowing the processor to execute MIPS assembly language programs. The development has been done with speed optimization in mind. For every new function, the effects on the maximum frequency has been considered, and solutions not satisfying the speed requirements has been abandoned or revised.The performance has been measured by running a benchmark program—Coremark. Comparison has also been made to the main competitors among soft core processors. The results were positive, and reported a higher Coremark score than the other processors inthe study. The processor described herein still lacks many essential features. Nevertheless, the conclusion is that it may be possible to create a competitive alternative to established soft processors. / FPGAer används idag ofta för stora inbyggda system, i vilka en mjuk processor ofta spelar en viktig roll. Hög prestanda hos processorn är alltid önskvärt, så det finns ett intresse i att hitta snabbare lösningar. Denna rapport skall beskriva det arbete och de resultat som uppnåtts av Karl Bengtson och Olof Andersson på ISY. Uppgiften var att fortsätta utvecklandet av en mjuk processor, som ursprungligen skapats av Andreas Ehliar. Första steget var att välja ut en mer allmänt använd instruktionsuppsättning för processorn. Valet föll på instruktionsuppsättningsarkitekturen MIPS32. Projektets huvutarbete har varit fokuserat på att implementera stöd för MIPS32, vilket ger processorn möjlighet att köra assemblerprogram för MIPS.Utvecklingen har gjorts med hastighetsoptimering i beaktning. För varje ny funktion har dess effekter på maxfrekvensen undersökts,och lösningar som inte uppfyllt hastighetskraven har förkastats eller reviderats. Prestandan har mätts med programmet Coremark. Det har också gjorts jämförelser med huvudkonkurrenterna bland mjuka processorer. Resultaten var positiva, och rapporterade ett högre Coremarkpoäng än de andra processorerna i studien. Slutsatsen är att det ärmöjligt att skapa ett alternativ till de etablerade mjuka processorerna, men att denna processor fortfarande saknar väsentliga funktioner som behövs för att utgöra en mogen produkt.

Les cameras intelligentes, ou Smart Cameras, sont des systèmes embarqués de vision artificielle. Ces systèmes se différencient des caméras "communes" par leur capacité à analyser les images, afin d'en extraire des informations pertinentes sur la scène observée, et ceci de féçon autonome grâce à des dispositifs embarqués de calcul. Les applications pratiques de ce type de système sont nombreuses (vidéo-surveillance, vision industrielle, véhicules autonomes, etc.), mais leur implémentation est assez complexe, et demande un haut degré d'expertise et des temps de développement élevés. Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse s'adressent à cette problématisue, et proposent une méthodologie d'implémentation permettant de simplifier le développement d'applications au sein des plateformes Smart Camera basées sur un dispositif FPGA. Cette méthodologie s'appuie d'une part sur l'instanciation au sein du FPGA d'un processeur "soft-core" taillé sur mesure, et d'autre part sur un flot de design à deux niveaux, permettant ainsi de traiter séparément les aspects matériels liés à la plateforme et les aspects algorithmiques liés à l'application

Sandwich constructions are the most commonly used structures in aircraft and navy industries, traditionally. These structures are made up of the face sheets and the core, where the face sheets will be taking the load and is connected to other structural members, while the soft core material, will be used to absorb energy during impact like situation. Thus, sandwich constructions are mainly employed in light weight structures where the high energy absorption capability is required. Generally the face sheets will be thin, made up of either metallic or composite material with high stiffness and strength, while the core is light in weight, made up of soft material. Cores generally play very crucial role in achieving the desired properties of sandwich structures, either through geometric arrangement or material properties or both. Foams are in extensive use nowadays as core material due to the ease in manufacturing and their low cost. They are extensively used in automotive and industrial field applications as the desired foam density can be fabricated by adjusting the mixing, curing and heat sink processes. Modeling of sandwich beams play a crucial role in their design with suitable finite elements for face sheets and core, to ensure the compatibility between degrees of freedom at the interfaces. Unless the mathematical model simulates the physics of the model in terms of kinematics, boundary and loading conditions, results predicted will not be accurate. Accurate models helps in obtaining an efficient design of sandwich beams. In Structural Health Monitoring studies, the responses under the impact loading will be captured by carrying out the wave propagation analysis. The loads applied will be for a shorter duration (in the orders of micro seconds), where higher frequency modes will be excited. Wavelengths at such high frequencies are very small and hence, in such cases, very fine mesh generally is employed matching the wavelength requirement of the propagating wave. Traditional Finite element softwares takes enormous time and computational e ort to provide the solution. Various possible models and modeling aspects using the existing Finite element tools for wave propagation analysis are studied in the present work. There exists a huge demand for an accurate, efficient and rapidly convergent finite elements for the analysis of sandwich beams. E orts are made in the present work to address these issues and provide a solution to the sandwich user community. Super convergent and Spectral Finite sandwich Beam Elements with metallic or composite face sheets and soft core are developed. As a philosophy, the sandwich beam finite element is constructed with the combination of two beams representing the face sheets (top and bottom) at their neutral axis. The core effects are captured at the interface boundaries in terms of shear stress and normal transverse stress. In the case of wave propagation analysis, the equations are coupled in time domain and spatial domain and solving them directly is a difficult task. In Spectral Finite Element Method(SFEM), the displacement functions are derived by solving the transformed governing equations in the frequency domain. By transforming them and forces from time domain to frequency domain, the coupled partial differential equations will become coupled ordinary differential equations. These equations in frequency domain, can be solved exactly as they are normally ordinary differential equation with constant coefficients with frequency entering as a parameter. These solutions will be used as interpolating functions for spectral element formulation and in this respect it differs from conventional FE method wherein mostly polynomials are used as interpolating functions. In addition, SFEM solutions are expressed in terms of forward and backward moving waves for all the degrees of freedom involved in the formulations and hence, SFEM provides faster and efficient solutions for wave propagation analysis. In the present work, strong form of the governing differential equations are derived for a given system using Hamilton's principle. Super Convergent elements are developed by solving the static part of the governing differential equations exactly and hence the stiffness matrix derived is exact for point static loads. For wave propagation analysis, as the mass is not exactly represented, these elements are required in the optimal numbers for getting good results. The number of these elements required are generally much lesser than the number of elements required using traditional finite elements since the stiffness distribution is exact. Spectral elements are developed by solving the governing equations exactly in the frequency domain and hence the dynamic stiffness matrix derived is exact for the dynamic loads. Hence, one element between any two joints is enough to solve the whole system under impact loads for simple structures. Developing FE for sandwich beams is quiet challenging. Due to small thickness, the face sheets can be modeled using 1D idealization, while modeling of large core requires 2-D idealization. Hence, most finite or spectral elements requires stitching of these two idealizations into 1-D idealization, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways, some of which are highlighted in this thesis. Variety of finite and spectral finite elements are developed considering Euler and Timoshenko beam theories for modeling the sandwich beams. Simple element models are built with rigid core in both the theories. Models are also developed considering the flexible core with the variation of transverse displacements across depth of the core. This has direct influence on shear stress variation and also transverse normal stress in the core. Simple to higher order models are developed considering different variations in shear stress and transverse normal stress across depth of the core. Development of super convergent finite Euler Bernoulli beam elements Eul4d (4 dof element), Eul10d (10 dof element) are explained along with their results in Chapter 2. Development of different super convergent finite Timoshenko beam elements namely Tim4d (4 dof), Tim7d (7 dof), Tim10d (10 dof) are explained in Chapter 3. Validation of Euler Bernoulli and Timoshenko elements developed in the present work is carried out with test cases available in the open literature for displacements and free vibration frequencies are presented in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. The results indicates that all developed elements are performing exceedingly well for static loads and free vibration. Super convergence performance for the elements developed is demonstrated with related examples. Spectral elements based on Timoshenko theory STim7d, STim6d, STim6dF are developed and the wave propagation characteristics studies are presented in Chapter 4. Euler spectral elements are derived from Timoshenko spectral elements by enforcing in finite shear rigidity, designated as SEul7d, SEul6d, SEul6dF and are presented. E orts were made in this present work to model the horizontal cracks in top or bottom face sheets using the spectral elements and the methodology is presented in Chapter 4. Wave propagation analysis using general purpose software N AST RAN and the super convergent as well as spectral elements developed in this work, are discussed in detail in Chapter 5. Modeling aspects of sandwich beam in N AST RAN using various combination of elements available and the performance of four possible models simulated were studied. Validation of all four models in N AST RAN, Super convergent Euler, Timoshenko and Spectral Timoshenko finite elements was carried out by simulating a homogenous I beam by comparing the longitudinal and transverse responses. Studies were carried out to find out the response predictions of a sandwich beam with soft core and all the predictions were compared and discussed. The responses in case of cracks in top or bottom face sheets under the longitudinal and transverse loading were studied in this chapter. In Chapter 6, Parametric studies were carried out for bringing out the sensitiveness of the important specific parameters in overall behaviour and performance of a sandwich beam, using Super convergent and Spectral elements developed. This chapter clearly brings out the various aspects of design of sandwich beam such as material selection of core, geometrical configuration of overall beam and core. Effects of shear modulus, mass density on wave propagation characteristics, effects of thick or thin cores with reference to the face sheets and dynamic effects of core are highlighted. Wave propagation characteristics studies includes the study of wave numbers, group speeds, cut off frequencies for a given configuration and identification of frequency zone of operations. The recommendations for improvement in design of sandwich beams based on the parametric studies are made at the end of chapter. The entire thesis, written in seven Chapters, presents a unified treatment of sandwich beam analysis that will be very useful for designers working in the area.

Syfte - Trots att kriser sägs vara vardagliga händelser saknas en tydlig definition avkrisbegreppet och kategorisering av de olika kristyper. Vi har identifierat två dimensioner,den externa och interna. Den externa dimensionen med fokus på hårda kriser har domineratområdet krisforskning. Således är hantering av interna och mjuka kriser ett outforskatområde. Syftet med denna studie är att bidra till förståelsen för hur svenska myndigheterarbetar med hanteringen av mjuka kriser.Metod - Denna studie tar sin grund i en kvalitativ metodansats där datainsamlingengenomfördes genom fem semistrukturerade intervjuer.Resultat - Fenomenet mjuka kriser är svårt att undersöka då detta är svårt att definiera ochfaller inom HR´s ansvarsområdet. Den traditionella krisforskningen med fokus på hårdakriser saknar kunskap kring hantering av interna mjuka kriser. Trots det visar resultaten attprecis som med hårda kriser, kan mjuka kriser studeras utifrån samtliga krisfaser. Merforskning kring fenomenet är således önskvärd.Bidrag - Denna studie skapar ett större förståelse kring definitionen av mjuka kriser samtskapar medvetenhet kring olika mjuka aspekter som skiljer sig från de externa /fysiska / hårdakriserna. Studien belyser problematiken kring olika aspekter inom mjuk krishantering ochsåledes är problematiseringen av mjuka kriser ett bidrag. Denna studie är även användbar förorganisationer som har ambitionen att inkludera hantering av mjuka kriser i sin krishantering. / Purpose - Although crises are said to be everyday events, there is no clear definition of theconcept of crisis and categorization of different types of crisis. We have identified twodimensions, the external and the internal. The external dimension with a focus on hard-corecrises has dominated the area of crisis research. Thus, dealing with internal and soft-corecrises is an unexplored area. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding ofhow Swedish authorities work with the management of soft crises.Methodology - This study is based on a qualitative method approach where data collectionwas carried out through five semi-structured interviews.Results - The phenomenon of soft crises is difficult to investigate as the concept is fairly newand difficult to define, and falls within the responsibility of HR instead of crisis management.Traditional crisis research with a focus on hard-core crises lacks knowledge about handlinginternal soft crises. Nevertheless, the results show that just as with hard-core crises, soft-corecrises can be studied based on all crisis phases. More research on the phenomenon is thusdesirable.Contribution - This study contributes to the understanding of the definition of soft-corecrises and creates awareness of different soft aspects that differ from the external / physical /hard crises. The study sheds light on the problems surrounding various aspects of soft-corecrisis management and thus is the problematization of soft-core crises a contribution. Thisstudy is also useful for organizations that have the ambition to include the management ofsoft-core crises in their crisis management.