Automatic FPGA Placement Configuration for Customer Designs

Searching for new ways to improve the efficiency of integrated circuits (IC) led to the development of specialized heterogeneous configurable IC (FPGA) and systems-on-a-chip. Their key feature is an extended interpretation of standard cell library, containing ready-to-use IP cores along with standard cells. Specific customer designs require the flexibility of the configurable heterogeneous IC’s architecture and, therefore, automatic CAD clustering and placement algorithms configuration. The development of efficient configuration methods and algorithms is impossible without relying on the mathematical apparatus. In this work, such mathematical apparatus is provided. The authors described a set-theoretic model of a hierarchical project and formalized the hierarchical approach to the netlist, using the apparatus of mathematical logic, set and graph theories. The correspondence between the customers designs’ elements and FPGA’s elements has been formalized to provide fast clustering and placement configuration. The obtained results provide the basis for future efficient methods for automatic placement and clustering configuration.

32-bit Kogge-Stone based Hybrid Adder Implemented using Standard Cells of Different Logic Families

Adders performs a critical role in all computational operations, thereby optimizing them with respect to design constraints for a system is essential. In this paper, standard cells of different logic families, namely- CMOS, Pseudo NMOS, and MGDI, are designed in Cadence Design Suite Virtuoso 6.1.7 in 180nm technology and characterized using Liberate 15.1.3. The standard cell libraries thus created are then applied to 32-bit KSA (Kogge-Stone Adder) and KSA based proposed hybrid adder that are implemented in Verilog, functionally verified on Xilinx Vivado 2020.2 and synthesized on Cadence Genus 15.22. Pseudo NMOS logic shows 14.03% area savings and MGDI offers 54.43% power saving based on area per cell over the traditional CMOS technology. It is also seen that the proposed adder offers a decrease in power and delay by 32.13% and 13.75% over KSA, respectively, in CMOS logic. Further discussions are made and suitable applications for all designs are also discussed.

Balancing the Leakage Currents in Nanometer CMOS Logic—A Challenging Goal

The imbalance of the currents leaked by CMOS standard cells when different logic values are applied to their inputs can be exploited as a side channel to recover the secrets of cryptographic implementations. Traditional side-channel countermeasures, primarily designed to thwart the dynamic leakage behavior, were shown to be much less powerful against this static threat. Thus, a special protection mechanism called Balanced Static Power Logic (BSPL) has been proposed very recently. Essentially, fundamental standard cells are re-designed to balance their drain-source leakage current independent of the given input. In this work, we analyze the BSPL concept in more detail and reveal several design issues that limit its effectiveness as a universal logic library. Although balancing drain-source currents remains a valid approach even in more advanced technology generations, we show that it is conceptually insufficient to achieve a fully data-independent leakage behavior in smaller geometries. Instead, we suggest an alternative approach, so-called improved BSPL (iBSPL). To evaluate the proposed method, we use information theoretic analysis. As an attack strategy, we have chosen Moments-Correlating DPA (MCDPA), since this analysis technique does not depend on a particular leakage model and allows a fair comparison. Through these evaluation methods, we show iBSPL demands fewer resources and delivers better balance in the ideal case as well as in the presence of process variations.

Iatrogenic Electrocautery Damage and Cellular-Based Corrosion of Total Joint Arthroplasty Biomaterials

Introduction. The number of patients undergoing a Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty (PTKA) has been increasing steadily each year. Of those PTKA patients, 20% report long-term pain and/or some functional deficit. Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy is one of the most used materials in Total Joint Arthroplasty (TJA) implants due the material’s high strength, high corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. The release of metal ions and potential occurrence of metallosis in TJA has been shown to be detrimental to the longevity of the implant. The mechanisms leading to this increase in metal ion concentrations have been up for debate, with some believing it is caused by Electrocautery (EC) damage at the time of surgery and others believing it is caused by inflammatory cells attacking the implant surface. The purpose of this thesis is to identify to what degree Electrocautery damage can alter the implant surface and if inflammatory cells are able to alter the implant surface and ingest metal particles. Methodology. To better understand how EC damage can alter implant surfaces, three different types of femoral component bearing surfaces were selected and intentionally damaged in the operating room using the plasma arc from both monopolar (MP) (Bovie) and Bipolar (BP) (Aquamantys) sources. MP and BP EC damage was done at varying power levels using a 3-second hover method 3 mm from the implant surface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany) was used to obtain a detailed microscopic analysis of the damaged areas. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) (Oxford, High Wycombe, UK) was utilized to assess the elements present in pits found in the corroded areas. Surface Topography was analyzed using a profilometer (DektakXT; Bruker, Tucson, AZ) in the central portion of the damaged area for each MP and BP energy setting. Each damaged area was evaluated with the aid of TalyMap (Mountains software; Digital Surf, Besançon, France) using ISO 4287 measurements for Arithmetic Average height (Ra), Kurtosis (Rk), Heighest Peak to Lowest Valley (Rz), and Skewness (Rsk). SEM, EDS, and Surface Topography were also used to look at undamaged areas of the implants. In a separate experiment, IC-21 ATCC murine peritoneal macrophages were cultured with RPMI 1640 growth medium of supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), L-glutamine, and gentamicin. Select groups of cells were then activated using Interferon Gamma (IFNγ) and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). CoCrMo alloy disks were cut, polished, passivated, and placed into 96 well plates and a select number intentionally damaged in the operating room with a MP EC device. After the cells were allowed to attach to the surface for 24 hours, culture medium was replaced every 12 hours and supernatant fluid was collected every 4 days starting on the second day of the experiment. After 30 days, cells were removed from the surface, counted and digested. The metal concentrations found in the supernatant and digested cell mixture were assessed using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS), conducted at Brooks Applied Labs (Bothwell, WA). Statistical analysis was conducted using SigmaPlot (Systat Software, Chicago, IL) and Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). Results. Surface Profilometry quantified the topographical changes due to the damage form the MP and BP EC devices. The median Ra and Rz measurements were larger for the BP damaged areas compared to the MP for all bearing surfaces. The Oxinium surface displayed the greatest increase in roughness parameters compared to the undamaged regions. The CoCr surface displayed the greatest Rsk for the BP damaged areas. The ZrN had the smallest differences in Rz and Ra for both MP and BP damage areas compared to undamaged areas. SEM imaging displayed pitting in the regions intentionally damage with a MP or BP EC device. Backscatter EDS analysis found significant changes in the elemental profile for the BP damage compared to the MP damage. Cellular corrosion of the CoCr disks was quantified by measuring the concentration of Co, Cr, and Mo in the supernatant fluid collected off of the culture over the course of the 30-day experiment. The Co supernatant concentration was higher in the Undamaged Disks with Activated Cells versus its control which contained medium with no cells. The Cr concentration was higher in the supernatant fluid of the EC Damaged Disks with Standard Cells versus its control which contained medium with no cells. Between experimental groups, higher concentrations of Co and Mo was found in the supernatant of the Undamaged Disks with Standard Cells versus the EC Damaged Disks with Standard Cells. There was also a higher Co supernatant metal concentration when comparing the Undamaged Disks with Activated Cells versus the EC Damaged Disks with Activated Cells. A higher Cr supernatant metal concentration was found in the EC Damaged Disks with Activated Cells versus the EC Damaged Disks with Standard Cells. Following the end of the 30-day experiment, cells were digested to determine their inner metal ion concentration. There was a significantly higher intracellular Co and Mo concentration in the Undamaged Disks with Activated Cells versus the Undamaged Disks with Standard Cells. As well as a higher intracellular Co concentration in the EC Damaged Disks with Activated Cells versus the EC Damaged Disks with Standard Cells. SEM imaging displayed microscopic pitting on the surface exposed to macrophages and EC damage. Backscatter EDS analysis found significant differences in the elemental concentration of Carbon, Oxygen, Iron and Nickel between the experimental groups. From the EDS Backscatter analysis, the disks with EC damage displayed a higher Fe/C ratio compared to the undamaged disks. Showing evidence that EC damage alters the chemical profile of the CoCr disk surface.