Computer Engineering Commons^™

Design, Extraction, And Optimization Tool Flows And Methodologies For Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Multi-Chip 2.5d Systems, Md Arafat Kabir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chip and packaging industries are making significant progress in 2.5D design as a result of increasing popularity of their application. In advanced high-density 2.5D packages, package redistribution layers become similar to chip Back-End-of-Line routing layers, and the gap between them scales down with pin density improvement. Chiplet-package interactions become significant and severely affect system performance and reliability. Moreover, 2.5D integration offers opportunities to apply novel design techniques. The traditional die-by-die design approach neither carefully considers these interactions nor fully exploits the cross-boundary design opportunities.

This thesis presents chiplet-package cross-boundary design, extraction, analysis, and optimization tool flows and methodologies for high-density …

Evaluation Of Robust Deep Learning Pipelines Targeting Low Swap Edge Deployment, David Carter Cornett

Masters Theses

The deep learning technique of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has greatly advanced the state-of-the-art for computer vision tasks such as image classification and object detection. These solutions rely on large systems leveraging wattage-hungry GPUs to provide the computational power to achieve such performance. However, the size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements of these conventional GPU-based deep learning systems are not suitable when a solution requires deployment to so called "Edge" environments such as autonomous vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and smart security cameras.

The objective of this work is to benchmark FPGA-based alternatives to conventional GPU systems that have the …

On Improving Robustness Of Hardware Security Primitives And Resistance To Reverse Engineering Attacks, Vinay C. Patil

Doctoral Dissertations

The continued growth of information technology (IT) industry and proliferation of interconnected devices has aggravated the problem of ensuring security and necessitated the need for novel, robust solutions. Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) have emerged as promising secure hardware primitives that can utilize the disorder introduced during manufacturing process to generate unique keys. They can be utilized as \textit{lightweight} roots-of-trust for use in authentication and key generation systems. Unlike insecure non-volatile memory (NVM) based key storage systems, PUFs provide an advantage -- no party, including the manufacturer, should be able to replicate the physical disorder and thus, effectively clone the PUF. …

Sabr: Development Of A Neuromorphic Balancing Robot, Alec Yen, Yaw Mensah, Mark Dean

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

We discuss the development of a self-adjusted balancing robot (SABR) using a neuromorphic computing framework for control. Implementations of two-wheeled balancing robots have been achieved using traditional algorithms, often in the form of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control. We aim to achieve the same task using a neuromorphic architecture, which offers potential for higher power efficiency than conventional processing techniques. We utilize evolutionary optimization (EO) and the second iteration of Dynamic Adaptive Neural Network Arrays (DANNA2) developed by the Laboratory of Tennesseans Exploring Neural Networks (TENNLab). For the purpose of comparison, a traditional balancing robot was first designed using PID control; the …

Iot Garden Frost Alarm, Andrew James

Honors Theses

Home gardeners are faced with yearly challenges due to spring frosts harming young plants. This is frequently mitigated by covering crops with frost blankets, but only on nights when a frost is predicted. In areas with less predictable climate, an unexpected frost can kill vulnerable plants, reducing the amount of food produced. A system is proposed and designed here to use internet of things (IoT) technology to enable a small weather station in the home garden to report current climate data and predict frosts, then alert the gardener in time for them to cover their plants.

The system as designed …

Energy Efficient Computing Using Scalable General Purpose Analog Processors, Ethan Paul Palisoc De Guzman

Master's Theses

Due to fundamental physical limitations, conventional digital circuits have not been able to scale at the pace expected from Moore’s law. In addition, computationally intensive applications such as neural networks and computer vision demand large amounts of energy from digital circuits. As a result, energy efficient alternatives are needed in order to provide continued performance scaling. Analog circuits have many well known benefits: the ability to store more information onto a single wire and efficiently perform mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, and differential equation solving. However, analog computing also comes with drawbacks such as its sensitivity to process variation …

Smart E-Bike Conversion Kit And Helmet, Megan West, Marena Trujillo, Hossein Asghari

Honors Thesis

With many state governments across the United States implementing shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many bike retailers have seen dramatic increases in bike sales. Electric bicycles (e-bikes) have become increasingly popular as the public searches for alternatives to public transportation. Unfortunately, e-bike users assume some risk by riding bikes that are faster than conventional bicycles. While kits to convert conventional bicycles to e-bikes exist, no “smart” e-bike/helmet kit specifically designed to keep the user safe is currently available on the market. To mitigate risks, a smart e-bike conversion kit with multiple novel safety features, including auditory and visual …

A Secure Architecture For Defense Against Return Address Corruption, Grayson J. Bruner

Masters Theses

The advent of the Internet of Things has brought about a staggering level of inter-connectivity between common devices used every day. Unfortunately, security is not a high priority for developers designing these IoT devices. Often times the trade-off of security comes at too high of a cost in other areas, such as performance or power consumption. This is especially prevalent in resource-constrained devices, which make up a large number of IoT devices. However, a lack of security could lead to a cascade of security breaches rippling through connected devices. One of the most common attacks used by hackers is return …

Side Channel Attack Counter Measure Using A Moving Target Architecture, Jithin Joseph

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

A novel countermeasure to side-channel power analysis attacks called Side-channel Power analysis Resistance for Encryption Algorithms using DPR or SPREAD is investigated in this thesis. The countermeasure leverages a strategy that is best characterized as a moving target architecture. Modern field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) architectures provide support for dynamic partial reconfiguration (DPR), a feature that allows real-time reconfiguration of the programmable logic (PL). The moving target architecture proposed in this work leverages DPR to implement a power analysis countermeasure to side-channel attacks, the most common of which are referred to as differential power analysis (DPA) and correlation power analysis …

Addressing Security Challenges In Embedded Systems And Multi-Tenant Fpgas, Georgios Provelengios

Doctoral Dissertations

Embedded systems and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have become crucial parts of the infrastructure that supports our modern technological world. Given the multitude of threats that are present, the need for secure computing systems is undeniably greater than ever. Embedded systems and FPGAs are governed by characteristics that create unique security challenges and vulnerabilities. Despite their array of uses, embedded systems are often built with modest microprocessors that do not support the conventional security solutions used by workstations, such as virus scanners. In the first part of this dissertation, a microprocessor defense mechanism that uses a hardware monitor to protect …

Designing Novel Hardware Security Primitives For Smart Computing Devices, Amitkumar Degada

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Smart computing devices are miniaturized electronics devices that can sense their surroundings, communicate, and share information autonomously with other devices to work cohesively. Smart devices have played a major role in improving quality of the life and boosting the global economy. They are ubiquitously present, smart home, smart city, smart girds, industry, healthcare, controlling the hazardous environment, and military, etc. However, we have witnessed an exponential rise in potential threat vectors and physical attacks in recent years. The conventional software-based security approaches are not suitable in the smart computing device, therefore, hardware-enabled security solutions have emerged as an attractive choice. …

Automated Blind Control, Daniel Nahra, Matthew Lacek, Timothy Kurczewski, William Daulton Baksa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this project would be to design and prototype an automated, light and temperature sensing window blinds system. The device would detect temperature, both inside and outside, and incoming sunlight to determine proper window blind position for maximum energy savings. The user would also have the ability to change the settings of the blind from a remote device to a setting that they desire at any given time

Soil Sensor Network, Andrea Wyder, Ross Klonowski, Alexis Alves, Luke Farnsworth

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Water management during crop irrigation is a problem for the agricultural industry. To help farmers better maintain water usage, a wireless soil sensor network comprised of a sensor pod and wireless communication has been designed and implemented. It was proven that the sensor pod can be installed 6-8 inches below the ground and communicate up to at least a 6km distance back to the gateway. The senor pod shells have a 2 mm thick shell to prevent the pod from shattering when coming into contact with the ground after being released from the planter, as calculated through the force of …

Smart Doggy Door, Jaret Helminski, Brandon Caldwell, Jason Marcum, Nathaniel Hall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The smart doggy door is an engineering senior design project which will be completed in the spring of 2021. The goal of this project is to design and implement a dog door that can detect when a dog is near. After that it will determine if the dog is allowed to use the door and it will then open if the dog is allowed to go through the door. This device will also send a notification to the dogs owner via an app on their phone. This device will allow dog owners to keep unwanted animals out as well as …

Design Project: Smart Headband, John Michel, Jack Durkin, Noah Lewis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Concussion in sports is a prevalent medical issue. It can be difficult for medical professionals to diagnose concussions. With the fast pace nature of many sports, and the damaging effects of concussions, it is important that any concussion risks are assessed immediately. There is a growing trend of wearable technology that collects data such as steps and provides the wearer with in-depth information regarding their performance. The Smart Headband project created a wearable that can record impact data and provide the wearer with a detailed analysis on their risk of sustaining a concussion. The Smart Headband uses accelerometers and gyroscopes …