Computer Engineering Commons^™

Gen-Acceleration: Pioneering Work For Hardware Accelerator Generation Using Large Language Models, Durga Lakshmi Venkata Deepak Vungarala

Theses

Optimizing computational power is critical in the age of data-intensive applications and Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML). While facing challenging bottlenecks, conventional Von-Neumann architecture with implementing such huge tasks looks seemingly impossible. Hardware Accelerators are critical in efficiently deploying these technologies and have been vastly explored in edge devices. This study explores a state-of-the-art hardware accelerator; Gemmini is studied; we leveraged the open-sourced tool. Furthermore, we developed a Hardware Accelerator in the study we compared with the Non-Von-Neumann architecture. Gemmini is renowned for efficient matrix multiplication, but configuring it for specific tasks requires manual effort and expertise. We propose implementing …

Modeling Of Quad-Station Module Cluster Tools Using Petri Nets, Aung Nay

Theses

The semiconductor industry is highly competitive, and with the recent chip shortage, the throughput of wafers has become more important than ever. One of the tools that the industry has deployed is to use of quad-station modules instead of the traditional single-station modules that allow for higher throughput and better wafer consistency by processing multiple wafers at the same time and distributing work. The industry trend is to use multiple transfer chamber robots to stack the quad-station modules in a series, particularly for etch products. In this work, the quad-station cluster tool wafer movement is modeled by using Petri net …

Un-Fair Trojan: Targeted Backdoor Attacks Against Model Fairness, Nicholas Furth

Theses

Machine learning models have been shown to be vulnerable against various backdoor and data poisoning attacks that adversely affect model behavior. Additionally, these attacks have been shown to make unfair predictions with respect to certain protected features. In federated learning, multiple local models contribute to a single global model communicating only using local gradients, the issue of attacks become more prevalent and complex. Previously published works revolve around solving these issues both individually and jointly. However, there has been little study on the effects of attacks against model fairness. Demonstrated in this work, a flexible attack, which we call Un-Fair …

Design And Implementation Of Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting Automaton, Iskandar Askarov

Theses

Global domestic electricity consumption has been rapidly increasing in the past three decades. In fact, from 1990 to 2020, consumption has more than doubled from 10,120 TWh to 23,177 TWh [1]. Moreover, consumers have been turning more towards clean, renewable energy sources such as Photovoltaic. According to International Energy Agency, global Solar power generation alone in 2019 has reached almost 3% [4] of the electricity supply. Even though the efficiency of photovoltaic panels has been growing, presently, the highest efficiency solar panels available to an average consumer range only from 20%-22% [14]. Many research papers have been published to increase …

Treated Hfo2 Based Rram Devices With Ru, Tan, Tin As Top Electrode For In-Memory Computing Hardware, Yuvraj Dineshkumar Patel

Theses

The scalability and power efficiency of the conventional CMOS technology is steadily coming to a halt due to increasing problems and challenges in fabrication technology. Many non-volatile memory devices have emerged recently to meet the scaling challenges. Memory devices such as RRAMs or ReRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory) have proved to be a promising candidate for analog in memory computing applications related to inference and learning in artificial intelligence. A RRAM cell has a MIM (Metal insulator metal) structure that exhibits reversible resistive switching on application of positive or negative voltage. But detailed studies on the power consumption, repeatability and retention …

Human Activity Recognition Using Wearable Sensors: A Deep Learning Approach, Jialun Xue

Theses

In the past decades, Human Activity Recognition (HAR) grabbed considerable research attentions from a wide range of pattern recognition and human–computer interaction researchers due to its prominent applications such as smart home health care. The wealth of information requires efficient classification and analysis methods. Deep learning represents a promising technique for large-scale data analytics. There are various ways of using different sensors for human activity recognition in a smartly controlled environment. Among them, physical human activity recognition through wearable sensors provides valuable information about an individual’s degree of functional ability and lifestyle. There is abundant research that works upon real …

Introducing Digital Content To Kclc, Chad Briesacher

Theses

No abstract provided.

Multiframe Coded Computation For Distributed Uplink Channel Decoding, Brinell F. Monteiro

Theses

The latest 5G technology in wireless communication has led to an increasing demand for higher data rates and low latencies. The overall latency of the system in a cloud radio access network is greatly affected by the decoding latency in the uplink channel. Various proposed solutions suggest using network function virtualization (NFV). NFV is the process of decoupling the network functions from hardware appliances. This provides the exibility to implement distributed computing and network coding to effectively reduce the decoding latency and improve the reliability of the system. To ensure the system is cost effective, commercial off the shelf (COTS) …

Multi-Population-Based Differential Evolution Algorithm For Optimization Problems, Ishani Chatterjee

Theses

A differential evolution (DE) algorithm is an evolutionary algorithm for optimization problems over a continuous domain. To solve high dimensional global optimization problems, this work investigates the performance of differential evolution algorithms under a multi-population strategy. The original DE algorithm generates an initial set of suitable solutions. The multi-population strategy divides the set into several subsets. These subsets evolve independently and connect with each other according to the DE algorithm. This helps in preserving the diversity of the initial set. Furthermore, a comparison of combination of different mutation techniques on several optimization algorithms is studied to verify their performance. Finally, …

Preemptive Efficient Queueing For Scheduling Deadline-Bound Data Center Flows, Vinaykrishna Gopalakrishna

Theses

This thesis introduces a new deadline aware flow scheduling scheme called Preemptive Efficient Queuing (PEQ). Unlike other schemes which use policies like EDF, SJF or fair share, this scheme aims to procrastinate flows as much as they can afford to, while keeping with their deadlines. Thereby, PEQ prioritizes more urgent flows that have shorter time to procrastinate, or cushion time. Results of PEQ are compared with state-of-the-art schemes for the transport of data-center flows, such as Preemptive Distributed Quick (PDQ) and Deadline-Driven Delivery (D³). The results show that PEQ outperforms D³ and PDQ. We identify results …

Decision Tree Rule-Based Feature Selection For Imbalanced Data, Haoyue Liu

Theses

A class imbalance problem appears in many real world applications, e.g., fault diagnosis, text categorization and fraud detection. When dealing with an imbalanced dataset, feature selection becomes an important issue. To address it, this work proposes a feature selection method that is based on a decision tree rule and weighted Gini index. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by classifying a dataset from Santander Bank and two datasets from UCI machine learning repository. The results show that our methods can achieve higher Area Under the Curve (AUC) and F-measure. We also compare them with filter-based feature selection approaches, …

An Immersive Learning Model, Shamsa Abdulla Salem Al Mazrouei

Theses

Our overarching goal is to provide children with immersive game-based learning environments to support Arabic linguistic skills acquisition. We postulate that immersion in- creases learning. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed a model and built an implementation of an educational virtual environment (EVE) that supports immersion and thus, induces effective learning. Experimental results confirm our hypothesis.

Our model integrates learning content, learning activities, immersion and gameplay. Based on our analysis of various curricula, specifically the United Arab Emirates grade one curriculum, we identified the nature of the learning content in order to satisfy the curriculum requirements. This content is conceptually …

Source-Channel Coding For Coordination Over A Noisy Two-Node Network, Sarah A. Obead

Theses

Recently, the concept of coordinating actions between distributed agents has emerged in the information theory literature. It was first introduced by Cuff in 2008 for the point-to-point case of coordination. However, Cuff’s work and the vast majority of the follow-up research are based on establishing coordination over noise-free communication links. In contrast, this thesis investigates the open problem of coordination over noisy point-to-point links. The aim of this study is to examine Shannon’s source-channel separation theorem in the context of coordination. To that end, a general joint scheme to achieve the strong notion of coordination over a discrete memoryless channel …

Semiconductor Materials And Devices For 2 Micron Generation, Dzianis Saladukha

Theses

In the last century, semiconductor research has led to significant changes in the fields of communication, medicine, the environment, and many others. Semiconductor devices provide a relatively simple and effective way to convert electrical energy to light and vice versa. Devices based on semiconductor materials of various kinds provide interaction of an electromagnetic signal in the range of wavelengths with a medium. Examples of such devices are LED lamps, photovoltaic cells, thermometers, gas sensors, cameras, and many others. The study of various semiconductors broadens the range of application of photonics. This work is based on the study of materials which …

Scare Tactics, Tiago Martines, Gabriel Ortega, Karan Sahu, Lucas Pereira Vasconcelos, Henrique Silva Chaltein De Almeida

Theses

It is the purpose of this document to describe the design and development processes of Scare Tactics. The game will be discussed in further detail as it relates to several areas, such as market analysis, development process, game design, technical design, and each team members’ individual area of background research. The research areas include asymmetrical game design, level design, game engine architecture, real-time graphics, user interface design, networking and artificial intelligence.

As part of the team’s market analysis, other games featuring asymmetric gameplay are discussed. The games described in this section serve as inspirations for asymmetric game design. Some …

Enhancing Snort Ids Performance Using Data Mining, Mohammed Ali Almaleki

Theses

Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) such as Snort apply deep packet inspection to detect intrusions. Usually, these are rule-based systems, where each incoming packet is matched with a set of rules. Each rule consists of two parts: the rule header and the rule options. The rule header is compared with the packet header. The rule options usually contain a signature string that is matched with packet content using an efficient string matching algorithm. The traditional approach to IDS packet inspection checks a packet against the detection rules by scanning from the first rule in the set and continuing to scan all …

A Game-Based Learning Model, Fatmah Mohamed Ali Ramsi

Theses

The purpose of this research is to design a conceptual model and develop an implementation as a proof of concept of game-based learning (GBL)to support linguistic skills acquisition. Our model lays the foundations of game-based learning by defining methods, processes, and procedures to support the development of game-based learning systems. Integration of learning and gameplay raises various issues, among them the learning process, learning content, and game characteristics. Language competency is fundamental to academic and social success. Vocabulary acquisition is a primary basis for language competency. Word lists and dictionaries have been used as a resource to enrich vocabulary. The …

Effective Node Clustering And Data Dissemination In Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks, Mariam Saeed Ai Nuaimi

Theses

The denseness and random distribution of large-scale WSNs makes it quite difficult to replace or recharge nodes. Energy efficiency and management is a major design goal in these networks. In addition, reliability and scalability are two other major goals that have been identified by researchers as necessary in order to further expand the deployment of such networks for their use in various applications. This thesis aims to provide an energy efficient and effective node clustering and data dissemination algorithm in large-scale wireless sensor networks. In the area of clustering, the proposed research prolongs the lifetime of the network by saving …

Formal Specification And Refinement Of The Navigation Tasks Of Autonomous Robots, Eman Rabiah Rabiah

Theses

Autonomous robots are hybrid systems whose role in our daily life is becoming increasingly critical. They are tasked with various activities requiring reliability, safety, and correctness of their software-controlled behavior. Formal methods have been proved effective in addressing development issues associated with these software qualities. However, even though autonomous robot navigation is a primordial function, there is no research dealing with enhancing reliability of the navigation algorithms. Thus, our focus is to investigate this type of algorithms, and specifically path planning, a fundamental and critical functionality supporting autonomy. We formally address the issue of enhancing reliability of the widely-used A* …

Service And Communication Management In Cooperative Vehicular Networks, Olivia Brickley

Theses

The concept of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) presents new R&D challenges for the transportation and ICT sectors and is currently receiving considerable interest from the research community. The primary objective of ITS is the creation of advanced road traffic systems for improved traffic safety, efficiency, and travelling comfort. Basic vehicle and roadside infrastructure collaboration allows for an increase in efficiency and safety and acts as the foundation for an extensive service set to achieve these ITS goals. Applications such as journey planning, automatic tolling and emergency warnings, among others, are envisaged in a system which can potentially reform modern transportation. …

Reliability-Performance Trade-Offs In Photonic Noc Architectures, Pradheep Khanna Kaliraj

Theses

Advancements in the field of chip fabrication has facilitated in integrating more number of transistors in a given area which lead to the era of multi-core processors. Interconnect became the bottleneck for the multi-core processors as the number of cores in a chip increased. The traditional bus based architectures, which are currently used in the processors, cannot scale up to support the increasing number of cores in a multi-core chip. Hence, Network-on-Chip (NoC) is the preferred communication backbone for modern multicore chips. However, the multi-hop data transmission using wireline interconnects result in high energy dissipation and latency. Hence, many alternative …

Segmentation And Model Generation For Large-Scale Cyber Attacks, Steven E. Strapp

Theses

Raw Cyber attack traffic can present more questions than answers to security analysts. Especially with large-scale observables it is difficult to identify which packets are relevant and what attack behaviors are present. Many existing works in Host or Flow Clustering attempt to group similar behaviors to expedite analysis; these works often phrase the problem directly as offline unsupervised machine learning. This work proposes online processing to simultaneously model coordinating actors and segment traffic that is relevant to a target of interest, all while it is being received. The goal is not just to aggregate similar attack behaviors, but to provide …

High-Performance Matrix Multiplication On Intel And Fgpa Platforms, Gang Li

Theses

Matrix multiplication is at the core of high-performance numerical computation. Software methods of accelerating matrix multiplication fall into two categories. One is based on calculation simplification. The other one is based on increasing the memory access efficiency. Also matrix multiplication can be accelerated using vector processors. In this investigation, various matrix multiplication algorithms and the vector-based hardware acceleration method are analyzed and compared in terms of performance and memory requirements. Results are shown for Intel and Xilinx FPGA platforms. They show that when the CPU is fast, Goto's algorithm runs faster than Strassen's algorithm because the data access speed is …

A Design Tool For Wsn Design In Buildings, Antony Guinard

Theses

The combination of sensing, processing, communication and actuation has made the monitoring and operation of buildings a significant emerging application area for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). The design, implementation and management of WSN is a complex task requiring a broad spectrum of disciplines such as networking and protocols, information management and embedding engineering to be successful. Indoor environments in particular pose a number of challenges that make the design of wireless networks a difficult task. These include the influence of obstacles and people on radio propagation, ever evolving building layout and interference from other wireless networks. The large-scale adoption of …

Modeling Next Generation Air Traffic Control System With Petri Net, Hang Wu

Theses

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is one of the largest Air Navigation Service Providers, managing air traffic for more than 15% of the world's airspace. Today's Air Traffic Control (ATC) system cannot meet the growth of the air traffic activities, which brings with more unprecedented delays. At the same time, Air Traffic Controllers are facing higher workload than ever before. The FAA has declared that the existing ATC system will transition to a new system known as “Free Flight”. “Free Flight” will change today's ATC system by giving pilots increased flexibility to choose and modify their routes in real time, …

Energy Scavenging System For Indoor Wireless Sensor Network, David Andrew Crea

Theses

As wireless communication evolves wireless sensors have begun to be integrated into society more and more. As these sensors are used to a greater extent newer and better ways to keep them working optimally have begun to surface. One such method aims to further the sensors energy independence on humans. This technique is known as energy scavenging. The logic behind energy scavenging is to allow the device to have its own reliable source of energy that does not require upkeep, has a long life expectancy, and does not completely rely on an internal power source. The aim of this thesis …

Semi-Automatic Management Of Knowledge Bases Using Formal Ontologies, Andreas Textor

Theses

This thesis presents an approach that deals with the ever-growing amount of data in knowledge bases, especially concerning knowledge interoperability and formal representation of domain knowledge. There arc multiple issues that must be addressed with current systems. A multitude of different formats, sources and tools exist in a domain, and it is desirable to develop their use further towards a standardised environment. Such an environment should support both the representation and processing of data from this domain, and the connection to other domains, where necessary. In order to manage large amounts of data, it should be possible to perform whatever …

Safety Data Dissemination Framework For Vehicular Networks, Martin Koubek

Theses

An effective transportation system is essential to modern societies with transportation having a significant influence on economic growth, social development and the environment. But this dependence on road mobility has had serious consequences in terms of rising crash costs that include deaths, injuries, lost productivity, material damage and congestion. The European Union and many other governments worldwide support active safety as being the next logical step in diminishing crash costs after passive safety (safety belt, ABS etc.) where drivers will be warned prior to reaching hazardous situations enabling them to react appropriately. While improving road safety is unanimously considered the …

The Development Of A Prototype Robotic Platform On Which Awareness Strategies Can Be Implemented, Sean Kinsella

Theses

This thesis describes the design and development of the hardware and software for a prototype robotic platform on which awareness strategies can be developed. The mobile prototype platform designed over the course of work is capable of operating as a distributed or centralised system.

There is no singular definition of awareness for a robotic system and the development of awareness strategies is complex and requires expertise in many scientific disciplines. This paper describes the different types of awareness associated with robotic systems and the technology required to implement this awareness. A review of sensors critical to the development of awareness …

Kerberos Phone Secure Messenger, Nabeel Al-Saber

Theses

Security is becoming vital in today's open insecure Internet. While popular Internet enabled mobile devices are spreading widely, the security of such platforms is not maturely addressed. This research extends the popular Kerberos authentication protocol to run on mobile phones and builds a novel Kerberos Secure Phone Messenger (KSPM) on top of the protocol. Moreover, the Kerberos network authentication protocol provides user authentication and message privacy with the convenience of secret key cryptography. Such an advantage in mobile phones helps reduce the computational burden and power consumption if compared with public key cryptography. KSPM achieves high standards in terms of …