The paper presents a novel high-level power modeling and estimation framework. The approach is based on a synergic integration of aspect-oriented programming(AOP) and SystemC. Macro module modeling and power estimation are harnessed. A case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Reliability analysis has become a tool of fundamental importance to virtually all electrical and computer engineers because of the extensive usage of hardware systems in safety and mission critical domains, such as medicine, military, and transportation. Due to the strong relationship between reliability theory and probabilistic notions, computer simulation techniques have been traditionally used to perform reliability analysis. However, simulation provides less accurate results and cannot handle large-scale systems due to its enormous CPU time requirements. To ensure accurate and complete reliability analysis and thus more reliable hardware designs, we propose to conduct a formal reliability analysis of systems within the sound core of a higher order logic theorem prover (HOL). In this paper, we present the higher order logic formalization of some fundamental reliability theory concepts, which can be built upon to precisely analyze the reliability of various engineering systems. The proposed approach and formalization is then utilized to analyze the repairability conditions for a reconfigurable memory array in the presence of stuck-at and coupling faults.

The stable Euler-Number based image binarization gives excellent visual results for video frames containing high amount of image noise. Being computationally expensive, its implementations are limited to general purpose processors for the most cost-effective solution or in application specific integrated circuits for maximum performance. This paper proposes a modified stable Euler-number based algorithm for image binarization and its real-time hardware implementation in a field programmable gate array with a pipelined architecture. The end result is a design that out-performs known software implementations while keeping the amount of noisy pixels introduced during the binarization process to a minimum. The hardware implementation results show that the proposed architecture gives accurate results compared to the software implementation.

In this paper the non-linear and complex relationship between packet loss probability and average packet delay for an input/output buffered ATM switch is studied thoroughly using our previously published analysis model. The main contribution is insight into the behavior of the switch and better understanding of the buffer size trade-offs under various traffic conditions speed-up factors, and buffer sizes. For different traffic conditions and buffer sizes, several distinct regions are identified and the behavior of the switch in those regions is explained. The results presented here can provide the basis for an optimum VLSI design methodology for input/output-buffered switches.