Project outline

Integrating algorithms in microelectronic chip design is a costly and complex process. It’s not surprising that industry efforts are focused on simplifying this complex development process that includes algorithm design, comprehensive emulation testing, circuit design and prototyping, production, and marketing.

Among the players in this industry, Montreal-based Octasic designs and markets digital signal-processing chips for communication networks. Octasic has mandated François Gagnon and his team to explore new applications for its technology in the field of radio communications (for example, MIMO).

The first objective is to adapt Octasic technologies to radio applications other than voice-processing, ideally using current digital chips. If current chips don’t meet new algorithm requirements, the simplest possible modifications will be made to extend their capacity.

Accelerating the emulation-testing process appears to be a promising solution for quickly estimating new algorithm results and a chip’s capacity to integrate new algorithms.

Existing simulators, such as MATLAB, include ready-to-use instruction blocks; however, they don’t meet the requirements of new algorithm integration. Efforts are focused on developing software infrastructure to complement current instruction blocks. Upgraded instructions blocks would allow researchers to predict a chip’s algorithm-integration capacity more effectively and – why not? – gauge the effect of modifications made to the chip.

Download the scientific overview (pdf)

Results to date

• 3 algorithm emulation reports
• Publications

Expected results

• Algorithmic test results for MIMO
• Develop software infrastructure for instruction blocks
• Develop software infrastructure to facilitate chip modification

Our partner

• Octasic

Team members

Professors: François Gagnon, Claude Thibeault and Yvon Savaria (Polytechnique)
Specialist: Émile Archambault (previously: Frédéric Plourdeand Zouheir Rezki)
Students: Christelle Hobeika, José-Philippe Tremblay, Negin Sahrai and Sandrine Futcha

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