US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Development of Evolvable Hardware Design Methodology

Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville TN

Investigators

Abstract

0323578 Mahmoud Description: This award supports a joint research project between Dr. Wagdy Mahmoud, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee and Dr. Alaa Sheta, Electronics Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt. The goal of this research is to develop a methodology for designing and evolving practical digital hardware designs. The investigators plan to develop a methodology for automating the design of practical evolvable digital hardware on field programmable gate array (FPGA) platforms. Evolvable Hardware (EHW) methodology is necessary for designing hardware structures that are re-configurable and fault tolerant and that can operate properly for many years in extremely harsh conditions and adapt to changes in their environment. The methodology will address two challenges facing EHW designers; scalability and portability, and will enable automating the hardware adaptation process through the replacement of traditional digital design methods with evolutionary techniques. The capability of the system will be demonstrated through the implementation of two digital arithmetic circuits. The investigations will enhance the emerging and interdisciplinary field of EHW. Scope: The Evolvable Hardware (EHW) methodology has numerous applications including space exploration missions, and remotely operated circuitry. Developing the methodology for designing and evolving practical digital hardware designs requires the application of artificial evolution techniques to the design process of the hardware circuitry. The project should lead to improving current design techniques or to the development of new ones. The research work will include graduate students at the two institutes, and may lead to the development of graduate courses in this promising field.