Research Description

The Tensilica tools which are provided through CMC Microsystems will be used largely at the graduate level to support rapid-prototyping and system level development. This includes FPGA based control over ASIC chips and applications in areas such as high-speed networking where multiple processor cores would be be useful. Our ATIPS group has a secure system-on-a-chip lab that would be the only access point to the Tensilica front-end tools. This lab requires electronic access for all personnel and is equipment to house third party IP.

ATIPS Labs

As this is the first time we have used the Tensilica toolset, we have used a fourth year project team to pilot its use and provide feedback on the tool. This team of four final year undergraduates has focused on the development of a design for a programmable platform for portion of the H.264 Video Decoder.

The project team successfully demonstrated a functional system with 90% of their planned capability within the 3 months available to them for their project work.

Outline of Curriculum and Courses

ENEL 453 H(3-IT-3/2) - Digital Systems Design
ENEL 527 H(3-2) - Design and Implementation of FPGA-Based DSP Systems
ENEL 565 H(3IT-3/2) - Digital Integrated Electronics
ENEL 567 H(3-IT-3/2) - CMOS VLSI Engineering
ENEL 647 H(3-1-Analog Integrated Circuit Design

Student/Assistants Outreach

There will be approximately 23 graduate students, 16 Master's candidates and 7 Ph.D. candidates that will use the tools. Additionally, there will be several senior undergraduate projects that could potentially us Tensilica's tools.

Also, there is currently an industrial research collaboration, which involves multi-processor design that would benefit from Tensilica tools (Xtensa processors).

University of Calgary's URL link:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/

University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering's URL link:

http://www.schulich.ucalgary.ca

University of Calgary's ATIPS Laboratory URL link:

http://www.atips.ca