In this thesis, a MP3 audio decoder has been designed as System-on-a-Chip using hardware/software co-design techniques. The MP3 audio decoder was built on a fast prototyping platform as ARM Integrator. The hardware architecture was built on the LEON2 SoC architecture, which contained an open source SPARC-V8 architecture compatible processor and an AMBA bus. Because MP3 decoding process was very computation-intensive for software-only decoder to decode in real-time on the LEON2 architecture, an IMDCT and poly phase synthesis filter bank hardware combined core pre-designed as an AMBA compatible core from our lab was reused and integrated. Besides integrating the IP, the MP3 decoding process was changed to use integer calculations instead of floating-point ones. In order to fast prototype LEON2 successfully on ARM Integrator, some modification of the LEON2 SoC hardware architecture was also made for example adding FIFO, modifying the memory controller, etc.

This research focuses not only on the interaction between the floating platform for cage aquaculture and the waves but also on the incident wave¡¬s energy transformation. The floating platform was simulated with a 1:30 physical scale model in the hydrodynamic laboratory. A total four wave gages and one load cell were used in this study: two wave gages installed in the upstream of the platform, one gage in the net cage and one gage in the downstream side of the platform; while one load cell measuring the mooring line tension at the anchor. All of the measurements were recorded in the data acquisition system for further analyzing reflected waves, transmitted waves, the wave height in the net cage, and the correspondent mooring line tensions. Furthermore, the movement of the platform and volume deformation of the fish net are recorded by the video camera, and then analyzed by the image processing method. First, the true color images were transferred into grayscale images, and then passed through mean filter, noise filter and median filter step by step. Finally, a weighted-algorithm was used to calculate the coordinates of the desired point form the resulted image matrix. Thus, the motion of the floating platform and the volume deformation of the fish net can be obtained by analyzing the variation of these points captured through the image processing procedure. For the ability of resistance to wave attack for a floating platform, it often estimated by inspecting the reflection and transmission coefficients of the platform. Besides the function of wave resistance ability, the stability of the floating platform, maximum tension in the mooring lines and the net volume deformation coefficient are also important factors for optimum design of a cage platform. According to the results of this research, we conclude some important facts as below: (1) For short-period waves, the net mesh size and twine diameter have influenced the magnitude of reflected waves and the motion of platform; and it makes little difference in the transmission coefficients, wave height ratios inside of net cage, and the maximum tension force in the mooring cable. (2)With the respect of transmitted wave coefficients: the wave transmission phenomena are not obvious for short-period waves, but these phenomena will gradually increase when the incident wave periods are getting longer. (3)Under the pure wave test condition, the net volume deformation coefficients are about 1% only, which means that the deformation of the fish net does not change at all, and it may be due to the overweight of the bottom frame. (4) Tension-leg type mooring system seems able to provide better stability of the platform than catenary type mooring system.

This thesis is based on an action research of ¡§2006 Performing Arts Marketing Platform¡¨ in Taichung City. Combining theories with practical work to analyze the performing arts marketing channels of Taichung, the researcher tried to improve the administration skills and to exam the possibilities of accomplish the project. Within nearly 10 months of project execution, the researcher served as the project manager and helped 20 performing groups to promote their productions in Taichung City. The data were collected by using shorthand notes, self-examination, responses from performing groups, evaluation forms, interviews, working journals, proceedings of meetings, etc. The results showed that the Performing Arts Marketing Platform of Taichung City was truly practicable. It not only increased the box office of performing companies, but also received positive responses from National Culture and Art Foundation and the performing companies. The researcher comprehended how the platform operated, and what are the effective marketing channels to promote performing arts in Taichung through the work. Two suggestions were raised from this study: It is important to take care every detail and use creative mind to develop a marketing strategy. In order to maximize marketing effect, the executor should fix the strategy according to the environment changes, and adopt governmental resources efficiently. Furthermore, the government should support the project continually, extend the outcomes and minimize the ¡§gap¡¨ between two projects. We should all face the difficult positions of arts administrators and diminish the insufficient manpower. Frankly, the spirit of this project is to create a platform for people to share their resources.

WiMAX is a new mobile technology which provides high bandwidth and VoIP service. Therefore, WiMAX will bring effects to 3G telecom market. It is important that 3G telecom how to face WiMAX effects and WiMAX telecom how to enter the telecom market. Because WiMAX does not operate popularly and literatures usually only compare technology between WiMAX and 3G, this research discusses pricing strategy of the WiMAX and 3G. This study discusses WiMAX and 3G based on MEC Model and Customer Differentiation Matrix, and uses price and platform of the MEC Model and customer valuation and customer need of the Customer Differentiation Matrix to discuss strategic position. This research uses case study to interview executive managers of the WiMAX and 3G telecoms. According to interview results and secondary data, this study concludes telecom strategic positions. These results: (1) voice service will become mass market; (2) mobile value-added service will become important strategy; (3) WiMAX telecom will enter telecom market quickly; (4) WiMAX is not only a competitive role but also a complementary role; (5) mobile telecom will become personalized service. This conclusion discusses WiMAX and 3G positions according to marketing strategy. The telecom market will create new pricing strategy due to market competition after WiMAX enters telecom market.

Software testing is a vital part of the software development process and is costly. Due to the increased use of the unified modeling language and model driven architecture approach in systems analysis and design, model-based testing has been discussed as a prominent solution for software testing to reduce the cost of software testing. Prior researches proposed an integrated method which utilizes the artifacts from the Platform Independent Model (PIM) to construct the test path and constrained class tuples. These two can then be integrated to construct an Integrated Testing Model (ITM) for determining the test data and test cases for Model-Based Testing. This study develops a methodology which extracting the information from ITM to construct the test cases. The research methodology is articulated using the design science research methodology. A prototype embedded methodology has been developed to automatically generate the test cases. A usability evaluation is performed on the prototype to demonstrate its usability. With this methodology, the test cases can be generated automatically; thereby reducing the cost and enhancing the efficiency of Model-Based Testing.

Although along with the technical progress, the environment provides the information science and technology the teacher equipment, the purchase art appreciation exploration game disc software, but has not planned the design, the development by the school course, the school standard curriculum's teaching material by the school art teaching research team, the attempt establishes the ¡§E¡¨ study platform, provides the learner and the teaching comments the quantity and the examination to the artistic curriculum and the teaching material content, student's study situation infinite space and time expansion. Simultaneously also provides the teacher the teaching curriculum project self-inspection and the improvement appraisal, by with the National Art Culture Foundation, the mighty army company cooperates, lets our teacher team the curriculum platform, transforms from the school entity space to the information science and technology hypothesized world, this platform will establish will take to the infinite possibility which the student will study, also will let student's study be unable ¡§again¡¨ the study in the classroom and in the drive study wish teaching space and time, had drew close to the student to study the wish promoted of a utilization strategies.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 16, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Murali K. Mantrala. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Cognitive sensor platforms are the next step in the evolution of intelligent sensor platforms. These platforms have the capability to reason about both their external environment and internal conditions and to modify their processing behavior and configuration in a continuing effort to optimize their operational life and functional utility. The addition of cognitive capabilities is necessary for unattended sensor systems as it is generally not feasible to routinely replace the battery or the sensor(s). This platform provides a chassis that can be used to compose embedded sensor systems from composable elements. The composable elements adhere to a synchronous data flow (SDF) protocol to communicate between the elements using channels. The SDF protocol provides the capability to easily compose heterogeneous systems of multiple processing elements, sensor elements, debug elements and communications elements. The processing engine for this platform is a Dataflow-Processing Element (DPE) that receives, processes and dispatches SDF data tokens. The DPE is specifically designed to support the processing of SDF tokens using microcoded actors where programs are assembled by instantiating actors in a graphical modeling tool and verifying that the SDF protocol is adhered to. / text

Objectives. In this thesis I have, together with game developer and publisher Paradox Interactive, designed and implemented a level editor tool for use in their game Magicka 2. With this tool users can create, edit and share custom Challenge levels in the game. I have also done a more in-depth scientific study of usability in such level editor tools, especially pertaining to the disparity between various controller input schemes and platforms. Methods. I have performed a literary study of articles and books relevant to the field of game design, user interface design, general usability, controller input schemes and any other topic I found relevant. I have paired this with a study of similar level editor tools and their user interfaces and features in other console and PC games. This knowledge, together with feedback from both expert and non-expert testing, has then been analyzed and used to design and implement both the user interface and the features of the level editor. Results. Results of the literary study, level editor tool study and testing are presented together with their impact on the design of the user interface and all implemented features. The results of each iteration of the Challenge Creator are presented as well. Lastly, all results are analyzed and a set of design heuristics for creating a similar level editor tool is presented. Conclusions. I conclude that creating a platform independent level editor tool with high usability is very much possible, but that designing such a tool becomes far more difficult with each new platform and controller input scheme supported. I also conclude that additional features and further increase in tool complexity loses significant impact if the core user interface is lacking in usability. I also conclude that more time and testing will be needed to further empirically validate the design heuristics. Lastly, I conclude that additional iterations will be required upon the Challenge Creator to improve its usability in light of already known and established design flaws.

The goal of the thesis is to investigate and propose a new design for a contactor platform, both in terms of hardware and embedded software, which incorporates support to implement new state-of-the-art functions. The platform must support a wide range of contactors from basic ones with only core functions to advanced contactors using modern microcontrollers to provide efficient, quick and reliable operation.   Further, a significant focus of the thesis is on the interaction between electrical engineering and computer engineering. The electronics needs to interact seamlessly with a microcontroller running a versatile software to provide industry-leading performance. To achieve this, the software and hardware is evaluated with focus to develop an optimal platform.   The proposed embedded software uses development techniques rarely used in embedded applications such as UML code generation, compile-time initiation of objects and an object-oriented design, while maintaining the performance of traditional embedded programming. The thesis also provides suggestions to hardware changes to further improve to the contactor’s operation.