The University of Hertfordshire used Altium Designer in the academic research environment to prove the concept of Co-operative Pseudo-Intelligent Memory (CPIM)
“An electronic design system was require to solve the integration issues in the CPIM research problem. Altium Designer more than met our expectations and enabled us to build a digital system on FPGA using existing board level design methodologies.”
- Zaki Ahmad
- Researcher, University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire is dedicated to research and education, which is focused on the advancement of science and technology. This high level of emphasis is epitomized in the School of Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering, where Zaki Ahmad, research student and Reza Sotudeh, head of the school, perform pioneering academic research.
The research paper strives to prove the concept of Co-operative Pseudo-intelligent Memory (CPIM), an innovative architecture for high performance computing. Altium Designer has helped complete this complex research project and allowed Ahmad and the research team to advance their designs to new levels whilst maximising their design efficiency.
The key challenges
The ambitious nature of the research required a re-evaluation of design resources, which illustrated the need for new electronic design tools. A complex FPGA-embedded system was required to solve integration issues. The tool also needed to capture hardware designs and test and debug the system on the target FPGA.
The following five criteria were used to evaluate the appropriate embedded intelligence implementation design system;
- The first factor to be considered was productivity; this was measured in terms of how quickly the tool could produce a design and to what degree of efficiency.
- Usability was also evaluated in terms of the effort required to learn how to use the tool and its relative ease of use.
- Thirdly the comprehensibility of the tool was analysed, this focuses on the resources provided by tool vendor to help designers familiarise with the tool.
- The fourth criteria evaluated was capability of the tool, this centred on the number of FPGA design steps covered by tool.
- The final evaluation criterion is the cost as this is always applicable to business decisions.
Meeting the challenges
Based on the criteria above Altium Designer proved the clear winner against its peers in the industry. “The system enables the full exploitation of the potential offered by today’s large-capacity programmable devices and the verification of new ideas.” Said Zaki Ahmed, from the University of Hertfordshire.
Altium Designer solves the problems of working with large-scale programmable devices by providing seamless linking of FPGA design projects with the board design that incorporates them. This allows you to gain the full benefits that programmable devices have to offer, and opens the door to a new way of approaching electronic product development. This also created massive design efficiencies reducing the design cycle time.
“In Altium Designer their proven strength in board-level system design has been integrated at the platform level with support for programmable design within an FPGA environment.” Zaki Ahmad, The University of Hertfordshire.
Altium Designer also scored highly in the usability and the comprehensively criteria sections. This is due to excellent technical support and training provided by Premier EDA Solutions both on-line and via telephone.
All these factors coupled with Altium Designers reasonable pricing meant the tool was most appropriate tool for the research project.
Altium Designer (Embedded Intelligence Implementation license option) is the Electronic design industry’s first vendor-independent system that enables digital system to be built on FPGA using existing board level design methodologies.
The results
The findings of the CPIM research project have been used by Zaki and the team in further projects, for example, in developing high performance computers systems and in verifying new ideas. Holistically, the research project helped maintain the university’s outstanding reputation for innovative academic research.
Further Success
In September 2005 the CPIM research project received the accolade of being nominated and receiving runner-up in the Design Innovation Challenge 2005. The award, designed to give recognition to the outstanding applications of Altium software technology throughout the industry, honours innovative companies, teams and individuals. Premier EDA Solutions hosted the 2005 Design Innovation Challenge as part of Premier’s two-day Customer Conference and IPC Designers Learning Symposium.
About the university
The University of Hertfordshire has a strong reputation for its science and engineering programmes. The Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering is a modern and progressive School, offering programmes in undergraduate and post-graduate study, underpinned by active research projects.
The School has built on the University’s reputation in working with industry and hosts a number of Subject Groups that support innovative teaching methodologies and conduct research supported by industry or other funding bodies.
The School has an impressive record of commercial activities, short courses and international conference organisation. Digital Signal Processing is a key strength, which is supported by a sponsored chair from Analog Devices.
In 2004 Premier EDA Solutions, in partnership with Altium, opened Europe’s first Nexar centre of Excellence at the University of Hertfordshire’s School f Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering. The initiative is the first step in Premier EDA Solutions’ strategic programme to support education with a self-sustaining network of Nexar Centres of Excellence in Universities and colleges across the UK and Ireland.
For more information please visit: http://perseus.herts.ac.uk/prospectus/faculty_ei/dep_ele/
Premier EDA Solutions would like to express their thanks to Zaki Ahmad and The University of Hertfordshire for their help in producing this customer story.