This book is the fruit of a very long and elaborate process. It was conceived as a comprehensive solution to several deficiencies encountered while trying to teach the essentials of Computer Vision in different contexts: to technicians from industry looking for technological solutions to some of their problems, to students in search of a good subject for a PhD thesis, and to researchers in other fields who believe that Computer Vision techniques may help them to analyse their results. The book was carefully planned with all these people in mind. Thus, it covers the fundamentals of both 2D and 3D Computer Vision and their most widespread industrial applications, such as automated inspection, robot guidance and workpiece acquisition. The level of explanation is that of an expanded introductory text, in the sense that, besides the basic material, some special advanced topics are included in each chapter, together with an extensive bibliography for experts to follow up. Well-known researchers on each of the topics were appointed to write a chapter following several guidelines to ensure a consistent presentation throughout. I would like to thank the authors for their patience, because some of them had to go through several revisions of their chapters in order to avoid repetition and to improve the homogeneity and coherence of the book. I hope they will find that the final result has been worth their efforts.

This book arises from experience the authors have gained from years of work as industry practitioners in the field of Electronic System Level design (ESL). At the heart of all things related to Electronic Design Automation (EDA), the core issue is one of models: what are the models used for, what should the models contain, and how should they be written and distributed. Issues such as interoperability and tool transportability become central factors that may decide which ones are successful and those that cannot get sufficient traction in the industry to survive. Through a set of real examples taken from recent industry experience, this book will distill the state of the art in terms of System-Level Design models and provide practical guidance to readers that can be put into use. This book is an invaluable tool that will aid readers in their own designs, reduce risk in development projects, expand the scope of design projects, and improve developmental processes and project planning.

Although security is prevalent in PCs, wireless communications and other systems today, it is expected to become increasingly important and widespread in many embedded devices. For some time, typical embedded system designers have been dealing with tremendous challenges in performance, power, price and reliability. However now they must additionally deal with definition of security requirements, security design and implementation. Given the limited number of security engineers in the market, large background of cryptography with which these standards are based upon, and difficulty of ensuring the implementation will also be secure from attacks, security design remains a challenge. This book provides the foundations for understanding embedded security design, outlining various aspects of security in devices ranging from typical wireless devices such as PDAs through to contactless smartcards to satellites.

Appropriate for use as a graduate text or a professional reference, Languages for Digital Embedded Systems is the first detailed, broad survey of hardware and software description languages for embedded system design. Instead of promoting the one language that will solve all design problems (which does not and will not ever exist), this book takes the view that different problems demand different languages, and a designer who knows the spectrum of available languages has the advantage over one who is trapped using the wrong language. Languages for Digital Embedded Systems concentrates on successful, widely-used design languages, with a secondary emphasis on those with significant theoretical value. The syntax, semantics, and implementation of each language is discussed, since although hardware synthesis and software compilation technology have steadily improved, coding style still matters, and a thorough understanding of how a language is synthesized or compiled is generally necessary to take full advantage of a language. Practicing designers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates will all benefit from this book. It assumes familiarity with some hardware or software languages, but takes a practical, descriptive view that avoids formalism.

Philosophy of the Text This text presents an introductory survey of the basic concepts and applied mathematical methods of nonlinear science as well as an introduction to some simple related nonlinear experimental activities. Students in engineering, phys ics, chemistry, mathematics, computing science, and biology should be able to successfully use this book. In an effort to provide the reader with a cutting edge approach to one of the most dynamic, often subtle, complex, and still rapidly evolving, areas of modern research-nonlinear physics-we have made extensive use of the symbolic, numeric, and plotting capabilities of the Maple software sys tem applied to examples from these disciplines. No prior knowledge of Maple or computer programming is assumed, the reader being gently introduced to Maple as an auxiliary tool as the concepts of nonlinear science are developed. The CD-ROM provided with this book gives a wide variety of illustrative non linear examples solved with Maple. In addition, numerous annotated examples are sprinkled throughout the text and also placed on the CD. An accompanying set of experimental activities keyed to the theory developed in Part I of the book is given in Part II. These activities allow the student the option of "hands on" experience in exploring nonlinear phenomena in the REAL world. Although the experiments are easy to perform, they give rise to experimental and theoretical complexities which are not to be underestimated.

by Maq Mannan President and CEO, DSM Technologies Chairman of the IEEE 1364 Verilog Standards Group Past Chairman of Open Verilog International One of the major strengths of the Verilog language is the Programming Language Interface (PLI), which allows users and Verilog application developers to infinitely extend the capabilities of the Verilog language and the Verilog simulator. In fact, the overwhelming success of the Verilog language can be partly attributed to the exi- ence of its PLI. Using the PLI, add-on products, such as graphical waveform displays or pre and post simulation analysis tools, can be easily developed. These products can then be used with any Verilog simulator that supports the Verilog PLI. This ability to create thi- party add-on products for Verilog simulators has created new markets and provided the Verilog user base with multiple sources of software tools. Hardware design engineers can, and should, use the Verilog PLI to customize their Verilog simulation environment. A Company that designs graphics chips, for ex- ple, may wish to see the simulation results of a new design in some custom graphical display. The Verilog PLI makes it possible, and even trivial, to integrate custom so- ware, such as a graphical display program, into a Verilog simulator. The simulation results can then dynamically be displayed in the custom format during simulation. And, if the company uses Verilog simulators from multiple simulator vendors, this integrated graphical display will work with all the simulators.

History of the Book The last three decades have witnessed an explosive development in integrated circuit fabrication technologies. The complexities of cur rent CMOS circuits are reaching beyond the 100 nanometer feature size and multi-hundred million transistors per integrated circuit. To fully exploit this technological potential, circuit designers use sophisticated Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. While supporting the talents of innumerable microelectronics engineers, these CAD tools have become the enabling factor responsible for the successful design and implemen tation of thousands of high performance, large scale integrated circuits. This research monograph originated from a body of doctoral disserta tion research completed by the first author at the University of Rochester from 1994 to 1999 while under the supervision of Prof. Eby G. Friedman. This research focuses on issues in the design of the clock distribution net work in large scale, high performance digital synchronous circuits and particularly, on algorithms for non-zero clock skew scheduling. During the development of this research, it has become clear that incorporating timing issues into the successful integrated circuit design process is of fundamental importance, particularly in that advanced theoretical de velopments in this area have been slow to reach the designers' desktops."

Dr. Lester A. Gerhardt Professor and Chairman Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180 This book is a collection of papers on the subject of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Most of the papers contained herein were presented as part of the program of the NATO Advanced Study Institute held in June 1983 at Castel vecchio Pascoli, Italy on the same subject. Attendance at this two week Institute was by invitation only, drawing people internationally representing industry, government and the academic community worldwide. Many of the people in attendance, as well as those presenting papers, are recognized leaders in the field. In addition to the formal paper presentations, there were several informal work shops. These included a workshop on sensing, a workshop on educational methodology in the subject area, as examples. This book is an outgrowth and direct result of that Institute and includes the papers presented as well as a few others which were stimulated by that meeting. A special note is the paper entitled "State-of-the-Art and Predictions for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics" by Dr. R. Nagel which appears in the Introduction and Overview chapter of this book. This paper was originally developed as part of a study for the United States Army performed by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science and published as part of a report entitled "Applications of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence to Reduce Risk and Improve Effectiveness" by National Academy Press in 1983."

Analog circuit design is often the bottleneck when designing mixed analog-digital systems. A Top-Down, Constraint-Driven Design Methodology for Analog Integrated Circuits presents a new methodology based on a top-down, constraint-driven design paradigm that provides a solution to this problem. This methodology has two principal advantages: (1) it provides a high probability for the first silicon which meets all specifications, and (2) it shortens the design cycle. A Top-Down, Constraint-Driven Design Methodology for Analog Integrated Circuits is part of an ongoing research effort at the University of California at Berkeley in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department. Many faculty and students, past and present, are working on this design methodology and its supporting tools. The principal goals are: (1) developing the design methodology, (2) developing and applying new tools, and (3) `proving' the methodology by undertaking `industrial strength' design examples. The work presented here is neither a beginning nor an end in the development of a complete top-down, constraint-driven design methodology, but rather a step in its development. This work is divided into three parts. Chapter 2 presents the design methodology along with foundation material. Chapters 3-8 describe supporting concepts for the methodology, from behavioral simulation and modeling to circuit module generators. Finally, Chapters 9-11 illustrate the methodology in detail by presenting the entire design cycle through three large-scale examples. These include the design of a current source D/A converter, a Sigma-Delta A/D converter, and a video driver system. Chapter 12 presents conclusions and current research topics. A Top-Down, Constraint-Driven Design Methodology for Analog Integrated Circuits will be of interest to analog and mixed-signal designers as well as CAD tool developers.

From a review of the Second Edition 'If you are new to the field and want to know what "all this Verilog stuff is about," you've found the golden goose. The text here is straight forward, complete, and example rich -mega-multi-kudos to the author James Lee. Though not as detailed as the Verilog reference guides from Cadence, it likewise doesn't suffer from the excessive abstractness those make you wade through. This is a quick and easy read, and will serve as a desktop reference for as long as Verilog lives. Best testimonial: I'm buying my fourth and fifth copies tonight (I've loaned out/lost two of my others).' Zach Coombes, AMD

Little more than a decade ago computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) was a very esoteric field indeed, not one that was of much practical concern to a manager or industrialist unless his business was on the scale of, say, a major automobile manufacturer or in a field of high technology such as aerospace. Like so much else, this situation was revo lutionized by the invention of the silicon chip, the arrival of the micro processor and the dramatic fall in the cost of computer hardware. Today, CAD/CAM has spread down the market, and down the price scale, to the point at which it is both a feasible and an affordable technology for a wide range of small-and medium-sized companies in areas as various as architec ture and general engineering, plastic moulding and consumer electronics. But the explosion - there is no other word for it - in the variety and capabilities of CAD/CAM systems, and their spectacular climb to the top of the hi-tech hit parade, has placed the potential purchaser and user of the new technology in a difficult position. On the one hand he is assured, not least by the manufacturers of CAD/CAM equipment, that a failure to invest in it will leave his company stranded in the industrial Stone Age."

This book presents the technical program of the International Embedded Systems Symposium (IESS) 2009. Timely topics, techniques and trends in embedded system design are covered by the chapters in this volume, including modelling, simulation, verification, test, scheduling, platforms and processors. Particular emphasis is paid to automotive systems and wireless sensor networks. Sets of actual case studies in the area of embedded system design are also included. Over recent years, embedded systems have gained an enormous amount of proce- ing power and functionality and now enter numerous application areas, due to the fact that many of the formerly external components can now be integrated into a single System-on-Chip. This tendency has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the size and cost of embedded systems. As a unique technology, the design of embedded systems is an essential element of many innovations. Embedded systems meet their performance goals, including real-time constraints, through a combination of special-purpose hardware and software components tailored to the system requirements. Both the development of new features and the reuse of existing intellectual property components are essential to keeping up with ever more demanding customer requirements. Furthermore, design complexities are steadily growing with an increasing number of components that have to cooperate properly. Embedded system designers have to cope with multiple goals and constraints simul- neously, including timing, power, reliability, dependability, maintenance, packaging and, last but not least, price.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures, CAAD Futures 2013, held in Shanghai, China, in July 2013. The 35 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 78 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on digital aids to design creativity, concepts, and strategies; digital fabrication and local materialization; human-computer interaction, user participation, and collaborative design; modeling and simulation; shape and form studies.

Java is an exciting new object-oriented technology. Hardware for supporting objects and other features of Java such as multithreading, dynamic linking and loading is the focus of this book. The impact of Java's features on micro-architectural resources and issues in the design of Java-specific architectures are interesting topics that require the immediate attention of the research community. While Java has become an important part of desktop applications, it is now being used widely in high-end server markets, and will soon be widespread in low-end embedded computing. Java Microarchitectures contains a collection of papers providing a snapshot of the state of the art in hardware support for Java. The book covers the behavior of Java applications, embedded processors for Java, memory system design, and high-performance single-chip architectures designed to execute Java applications efficiently.

As the cost of developing new semiconductor technology at ever higher bit/gate densities continues to grow, the value of using accurate TCAD simu lation tools for design and development becomes more and more of a necessity to compete in today's business. The ability to tradeoff wafer starts in an advanced piloting facility for simulation analysis and optimization utilizing a "virtual fab" S/W tool set is a clear economical asset for any semiconductor development company. Consequently, development of more sophisticated, accurate, physics-based, and easy-to-use device and process modeling tools will receive continuing attention over the coming years. The cost of maintaining and paying for one's own internal modeling tool development effort, however, has caused many semiconductor development companies to consider replacing some or all of their internal tool development effort with the purchase of vendor modeling tools. While some (noteably larger) companies have insisted on maintaining their own internal modeling tool development organization, others have elected to depend totally on the tools offered by the TCAD vendors and have consequently reduced their mod eling staffs to a bare minimal support function. Others are seeking to combine the best of their internally developed tool suite with "robust," "proven" tools provided by the vendors, hoping to achieve a certain synergy as well as savings through this approach. In the following sections we describe IBM's internally developed suite of TCAD modeling tools and show several applications of the use of these tools."

Soft computing is a consortium of computing methodologies that provide a foundation for the conception, design, and deployment of intelligent systems and aims to formalize the human ability to make rational decisions in an environment of uncertainty and imprecision. This book is based on a NATO Advanced Study Institute held in 1996 on soft computing and its applications. The distinguished contributors consider the principal constituents of soft computing, namely fuzzy logic, neurocomputing, genetic computing, and probabilistic reasoning, the relations between them, and their fusion in industrial applications. Two areas emphasized in the book are how to achieve a synergistic combination of the main constituents of soft computing and how the combination can be used to achieve a high Machine Intelligence Quotient.

In a society in which the use of information technology is becoming commonplace it is natural that pictures and images produced by elec tronic means should be increasing in importance as a means of com munication. Computer graphics have only recently come to the atten tion of the general public, mainly through animated drawings, advertise ments and video games. The quality of the pictures is often such that, unless informed of the fact, people are unaware that they are created with the help of computers. Some simulations, those developed in con nection with the space shuttle for example, represent a great and rapid progress. In industry, computer graphic techniques are used not only for the presentation of business data, but also in design and manufacture processes. Such computer-assisted systems are collectively represented by the acronym CAX. In CAD/CAM (computer-assisted design/manufacture), interactive graphic techniques have attained considerable importance. In CAD/CAM systems a dialogue can be established between the user and the machine using a variety of easy to operate communication devices. Due to the recent developments in hardware and software (for modelling, visual display, etc), a designer is now able to make decisions based on the information presented (plans, perspective drawings, graphics, etc) with the help of interactive, graphic techniques. These constitute the most visible and perhaps most spectacular aspect of CAD/CAM systems."

4 lation and optimization. These are essential constituents of the iterative process, leading to a feasible and, one hopes, optimal design. 1.3 Content of the Book In Chapter 2 we present briefly the history of CAD. The main components of CAD systems are identified, and their principal functions described. Economi cal and interdisciplinary aspects are discussed. Chapter 3 starts with a systems analysis of the design process. The notion of a process is introduced as a fundamental tool to describe activities like design as a whole, computer-aided design, program executions, terminal sessions etc. The environment and the resources which the environment must supply for the successful execution of any process are discussed. The problem of modelling the design objects in an abstract schema and the interrelation between the schema and the planning of the individual step in the design are analysed. Chapter 4 concentrates on the interfaces among the components of a CAD system, including the human operator. The problem of mapping an abstract schema onto the capabilities of various programming, command, or data de scription languages is described in detail. Emphasis is laid upon the resource aspect and its influence on the design of CAD systems. The concept of a CAD software machine is introduced, and rules for designing such machines are given.

This book contains the edited version of lectures and selected papers presented at the NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTE ON COMPUTER AIDED OPTIMAL DESIGN: Structural and Mechanical Systems, held in Tr6ia, Portugal, 29th June to 11th July 1986, and organized by CEMUL -Center of Mechanics and Materials of the Technical University of Lisbon. The Institute was attended by 120 participants from 21 countries, including leading scientists and engineers from universities, research institutions and industry, and Ph.D. students. Some participants presented invited and contributed papers during the Institute and almost all participated actively in discussions on scientific aspects during the Institute. The Advanced Study Institute provided a forum for interaction among eminent scientists and engineers from different schools of thought and young reseachers. The Institute addressed the foundations and current state of the art of essential techniques related to computer aided optimal design of structural and mechanical systems, namely: Vari ational and Finite Element Methods in Optimal Design, Numerical Optimization Techniques, Design Sensitivity Analysis, Shape Optimal Design, Adaptive Finite Element Methods in Shape Optimization, CAD Technology, Software Development Techniques, Integrated Computer Aided Design and Knowledge Based Systems. Special topics of growing importance were also pre sented."

3D CAD is one of the most important technologies of the 90s for the engineering and manufacturing world. 3D CAD systems can provide a competitive edge in the development of new products. This book presents the development of a three-dimensional CAD system and its wide range of applications. It describes the concepts of solid models, and the theory of curves and surfaces and it illustrates these concepts through "reals world" applications.

VHDL Coding Styles and Methodologies, Edition is a follow up book to the first edition of same book and to VHDL Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, first and second editions. This book was originally written as a teaching tool for a VHDL training course. The author began writing the book because he could not find a practical and easy to read book that gave in depth coverage of both, the language and coding methodologies. This edition provides practical information on reusable software methodologies for the design of bus functional models for testbenches. It also provides guidelines in the use of VHDL for synthesis. All VHDL code described in the book is on a companion CD. The CD also includes the GNU toolsuite with EMACS language sensitive editor (with VHDL, Verilog, and other language templates), and TSHELL tools that emulate a Unix shell. Model Technology graciously included a timed evaluation version of ModelSim, a recognized industry standard VHDL/Verilog compiler and simulator that supports easy viewing of the models under analysis, along with many debug features. In addition, Synplicity included a timed version of Synplify, a very efficient, user friendly and easy to use FPGA synthesis tool. Synplify provides a user both the RTL and gate level views of the synthesized model, and a performance report of the design. Optimization mechanisms are provided in the tool.

In 2002, the International Conference on Computer Aided Design (ICCAD) celebrates its 20th anniversary. This book commemorates contributions made by ICCAD to the broad field of design automation during that time. The foundation of ICCAD in 1982 coincided with the growth of Large Scale Integration. The sharply increased functionality of board-level circuits led to a major demand for more powerful Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. At the same time, LSI grew quickly and advanced circuit integration became widely avail able. This, in turn, required new tools, using sophisticated modeling, analysis and optimization algorithms in order to manage the evermore complex design processes. Not surprisingly, during the same period, a number of start-up com panies began to commercialize EDA solutions, complementing various existing in-house efforts. The overall increased interest in Design Automation (DA) re quired a new forum for the emerging community of EDA professionals; one which would be focused on the publication of high-quality research results and provide a structure for the exchange of ideas on a broad scale. Many of the original ICCAD volunteers were also members of CANDE (Computer-Aided Network Design), a workshop of the IEEE Circuits and Sys tem Society. In fact, it was at a CANDE workshop that Bill McCalla suggested the creation of a conference for the EDA professional. (Bill later developed the name).

VHDL and FPLDs in Digital Systems Design, Prototyping and Customization treats three aspects of digital systems: design, prototyping and customization, in an integrated manner using two technologies. The two technologies are VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and Field-Programmable Logic Devices (FPLDs). VHDL is used for modeling and specification; FPLDs are used for implementation. VHDL and FPLDs in Digital Systems Design, Prototyping and Customization is divided into three parts. Part I provides an introduction to the basic features of VHDL with emphasis on modeling and design. All types of VHDL models including behavioral, structural and dataflow models are presented. Part 2 is a bridge to designing and prototyping using FPLDs as the prototyping and implementation technology. Part 3 contains a number of examples and case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of using VHDL and FPLDs in the design of real systems. VHDL and FPLDs in Digital Systems Design, Prototyping and Customization is an invaluable comprehensive reference for the digital designer. This work includes examples and software tied to real-world FPLDs.The reader can see how the material presented applies to real-world devices and can experiment with the software. Also included are large-scale designs like the FLIX microcomputer that demonstrates the power of VHDL.

High-Level Power Analysis and Optimization presents a comprehensive description of power analysis and optimization techniques at the higher (architecture and behavior) levels of the design hierarchy, which are often the levels that yield the most power savings. This book describes power estimation and optimization techniques for use during high-level (behavioral synthesis), as well as for designs expressed at the register-transfer or architecture level. High-Level Power Analysis and Optimization surveys the state-of-the-art research on the following topics: power estimation/macromodeling techniques for architecture-level designs, high-level power management techniques, and high-level synthesis optimizations for low power. High-Level Power Analysis and Optimization will be very useful reading for students, researchers, designers, design methodology developers, and EDA tool developers who are interested in low-power VLSI design or high-level design methodologies.

The variational approach, including the direct methods and finite elements, is one of the main tools of engineering analysis. However, it is difficult to appreciate not only for seniors but for graduate students too. It is possible to make this subject easier to understand with the help of symbolic manipulation codes (SMC). The easiness with which these codes provide analytical results allow for a student or researcher to focus on the ideas rather than on calculational difficulties. The very process of programming with SMC encourages appreciation of the qualitative aspects of investigations. Saving time and effort, they enable undergraduates to deal with the subjects generally regarded as graduate courses. There is a habitual aspect too. These days it is more convenient for a student (researcher) to work with a keyboard than with a pencil. Moreover, semantic features of the codes may allow for generalizations of the standard techniques, which would be impossible to achieve without the computer's help.