======================================================================== SIGDA -- The Resource for EDA Professionals www.sigda.org ======================================================================== 15 August 2006 ACM/SIGDA E-NEWSLETTER Vol. 36, No. 16 Online archive: http://www.sigda.org/newsletter ======================================================================== Contents of this E-NEWSLETTER: (1) SIGDA News Contributing author: Tony Givargis Contributing author: Michael Orshansky Contributing author: Marc Riedel Contributing author: Igor Markov (2) Paper Submission Deadlines Hai Zhou (3) Upcoming Conferences and Symposia Hai Zhou (4) Upcoming Funding Opportunities Qinru Qiu (5) 5th SIGDA CADathlon at ICCAD 2006 Geert Janssen ======================================================================== Dear ACM/SIGDA members, As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. If you would like to participate or contribute to the content of the E-Newsletter, please feel free to contact any of us. Igor Markov and Qing Wu, E-Newsletter Editors; Qinru Qiu, E-Newsletter Associate Editor; Hai Zhou, E-Newsletter Associate Editor; Tony Givargis, E-Newsletter Associate Editor; Michael Orshansky, E-Newsletter Associate Editor; Marc Riedel, E-Newsletter Associate Editor; ======================================================================== SIGDA News ----------------------- "New Hi-Tech RFID Passports Hacked and Cloned" http://www.workpermit.com/news/2006_08_04/rfid_technology_cloned.htm A German computer security consultant has demonstrated how to "clone," or duplicate, a specific RFID chip. Lukas Grunwald, a security consultant with DN-Systems in Germany and an RFID expert, says the data in the chips is easy to copy, and he demonstrated the technique at the Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas on 03 August. The hack was tested on a new EU German passport, but the method would work on any country's "e-passport," since all of them will be adhering to the same ICAO standard. "How to Accelerate Algorithms by Automatically Generating FPGA Coprocessors" http://www.ddj.com/dept/embedded/191901647 Recent advances in C-to-FPGA design methodologies and tools facilitate the rapid creation of hardware-accelerated embedded systems. Today's designers are constrained by space, power, and cost, and they simply cannot afford to implement embedded designs with gigahertz-class computers. Fortunately, in embedded systems, the greatest computational requirements are frequently determined by a relatively small number of algorithms. These algorithms, identified through profiling techniques, can be rapidly converted into hardware coprocessors using design automation tools. The coprocessors can then be efficiently interfaced to the offloaded processor, yielding "gigahertz-class" performance. "Intel Gets 20-Gbps Chip-to-Chip Signaling with Flexible Traces" http://www.embedded.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=192200218 Researchers with Intel Corp. have achieved 20-Gbit per second signaling rates over flexible circuit traces between chips, according to SiliconPipe Inc., a company founded in 2002 to develop copper interconnect technology. "The Invisible Assistant" http://www.acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=407 Ubiquitous computing seeks to place computers everywhere around us so that our lives are made better. Whether it is improving our job productivity, our ability to stay connected with family and friends, or our entertainment, the goal is to find ways to put technology to work for us by getting all those computers to work together. "What Every Technologist Should Know (But Doesn't)" http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/777780.html In this issue of HPCwire, I'd like to highlight a couple of interviews of two individuals who are promoting some productivity-enhancing skills for technical professionals -- I'm guessing that refers to everyone reading this article. Greg Wilson, an adjunct professor in Computer Science at the University of Toronto, discusses the importance of basic software engineering for scientists and engineers. John West, the director of the Major Shared Resource Center at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, argues for the development of leadership skills for all technologists. "SYSGO Unveils Industrial Grade Linux" http://www.industrial-embedded.com/news/db/?3634 SYSGO, the European vendor of reliable device software, today announced the release of ELinOS v4.1, the first Industrial Grade Linux solution. ELinOS v4.1 serves the need for an Industrial Grade Embedded Linux solution in the market: Field proven technology, support for all industrial hardware platforms and dedicated industry software components in combination to a traceable qualification process ensure the highest development standards. "Wireless USB in a Dongle" http://www.edn.com/article/CA6356069.html?spacedesc=pryingeyes Circumstances are conspiring to make the use of reference designs almost mandatory. Consider, for example, the case of wireless USB. The basic idea is irresistible: Use a short-range, multiple-access wireless network to replace the tangle of cables that USB promised to eliminate but in fact reinforced. UWB (ultrawideband) radios operating at very high frequencies make possible data rates comparable with the fastest USB interconnects. "Arrays Narrow Platform ASIC, FPGA Gap" http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800429806_499491_3220cbc3200608.HTM Narrowing the performance and density gap between FPGAs and structured or platform ASICs, a novel configurable array architecture unveild by startup CSwitch Corp. promises to deliver levels of flexibility not previously available in programmable products. The flexibility is achieved by combining elements that can move, edit and store data packets at performance levels comparable to full-custom processor designs. CSwitch claims the architecture, which achieves data bandwidths of 100Gbps, can be applied across a wide range of high-performance networking, storage, telecom and wireless-base-station applications, while providing the ability to modify or upgrade features via software-configuration downloads. "It's Not My Fault!" http://www.embedded.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=191902362 Is a version of Sarbanes-Oxley coming to the software world? Howard Schmidt, who once was the cybersecurity advisor to the current Administration's, said: "In software development, we need to have personal quality assurances from developers that the code they write is secure." "Seeing by Sound" http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17315&ch=infotech A new wearable computer can transform cities and buildings into soundscapes, researchers say, helping visually impaired people get around more easily. "Can Anything Tame the Battery Flames?" http://news.com.com/2102-11398_3-6105924.html?tag=st.util.print The Camarillo, Calif.-based start-up is one of a number of companies that has been toiling away at a problem that's no longer obscure due to Dell's massive laptop battery recall: Lithium ion batteries can, under the right conditions, explode into flames. "Unite Algorithm and Hardware Design Flows" http://www.eetasia.com/ARTICLES/2006AUG/C/2006AUG_DTB.HTMThis article reviews past attempts to build a bridge between the DSP design domain and physical implementations. Also discussed are the ways in which each of these conventional approaches falls short. Next, we introduce a new DSP design methodology--true DSP synthesis--which integrates into existing design flows without any disruption. This solution bridges the gap between the algorithmic and implementation domains by automating the processes of system-level optimization and implementation-level mapping. "Commentary: It's the Software, Stupid" http://www.reed-electronics.com/eb-mag/article/CA6360703 For decades the semiconductor industry has delivered, stubbornly ignoring all naysayers. predictions--without missing a beat--on Moore's Law, Gordon Moore's 1964 prediction that silicon transistor capacity would double roughly every 18 months. Semiconductor technology has delivered as promised but is facing significant barriers going forward. What could go wrong? Plenty, as it turns out. Pure processing performance does not scale well, because of communication--data must be carried between storage units. And simply scaling performance is a sure way to run into the power ceiling, where chips consume so much energy that they can no longer be produced at appropriate yields and cooled efficiently. ======================================================================== Submission deadlines: --------------------- DATE'07 - Design Automation and Test in Europe Nice, France Apr 16-20, 2007 Deadline: Sep 10, 2006 http://www.date-conference.com/ FPGA'07 -Int'l Symposium on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays Monterey, CA Feb 18-20, 2007 Deadline: Sep 15, 2006 http://conferences.ece.ubc.ca/isfpga2007/ IP-SOC'06 - IP Based SoC Design Grenoble, France Dec 6-7, 2006 Deadline: Sep 25, 2006 http://www.us.design-reuse.com/ipsoc2006/ ASYNC'07: Int'l Symposium on Asynchronous Circuits and Systems Berkeley, CA Mar 12-14, 2007 Deadline: Sep 25, 2006 http://conferences.computer.org/async2007/ ISQED'07 - Int'l Symposium & Exhibits on Quality Electronic Design San Jose, CA Mar 26-28, 2007 Deadline: Sep 30, 2006 http://www.isqed.org/ ISCAS'07 - Int'l Symposium on Circuits and Systems New Orleans, LA May 27-30, 2007 Deadline: Oct 6, 2006 http://www.iscas2007.org/ ISPD'07 - Int'l Symposium on Physical Design Austin, TX Mar 18-21, 2007 Deadline: Oct 12, 2006 http://www.ispd.cc/ SPL'07 - Southern Conference on Programmable Logic Mar del Plata, Argentina Feb 26-28, 2007 Deadline: Oct 23, 2006 http://www.splconf.org/ GLSVLSI'07 - Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI Stresa-Largo Maggiore, Italy Mar 11-13, 2007 Deadline: Nov 10, 2006 http://www.glsvlsi.org/ DAC'07 - Design Automation Conference San Diego, CA Jun 4-8, 2007 Deadline: Nov. 20, 2006 http://www.dac.com/ NOCS'07 - Int'l Symposium on Networks-on-Chips Princeton, New Jersey May 7-9, 2007 Deadline: Dec 1, 2006 http://www.nocsymposium.org/ ======================================================================== Upcoming symposia, conferences and workshops: --------------------------------------------- ASAP'06 - Int'l Conference on Application-specific Systems, Architectures and Processors Steamboat Springs, CO Sep 11-13, 2006 http://asap2006.grm.polymtl.ca/ ISOCC'06 - Int'l SoC Design Conference Seoul, Korea Oct 26-27, 2006 http://www.isocc.org/ ICCAD'06 - Int'l Conference on Computer-Aided Design San Jose, CA Nov 5-9, 2006 http://www.iccad.com/ PDCS'06 - Int'l Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing and Systems Dallas, TX Nov 13-15, 2006 http://www.iasted.org/conferences/2006/Dallas/pdcs.htm CSS'06 - Conference on Circuits, Signals and Systems San Francisco, CA Nov 20-22, 2006 http://www.iasted.org/newsletter/2006/css2.htm IP-SOC'06 - IP Based SoC Design Grenoble, France Dec 6-7, 2006 http://www.us.design-reuse.com/ipsoc2006/ ThETA'07 - Int'l Conference on Thermal Issues in Emerging Technologies: Theory and Applications Cairo, Egypt Jan 3-6, 2007 http://www.thetaconf.org VLSI'07 - Int'l Conference on VLSI Design Bangalore, India Jan 6-10, 2007 http://www.vlsiconference.com/2007/ ASPDAC'07 - Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference Yokohama, Japan Jan 23-26, 2007 http://www.aspdac.com/aspdac2007/ FPGA'07 -Int'l Symposium on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays Monterey, CA Feb 18-20, 2007 http://conferences.ece.ubc.ca/isfpga2007/ SPL'07 - Southern Conference on Programmable Logic Mar del Plata, Argentina Feb 26-28, 2007 http://www.splconf.org/ GLSVLSI'07 - Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI Stresa-Largo Maggiore, Italy Mar 11-13, 2007 http://www.glsvlsi.org/ ASYNC'07: Int'l Symposium on Asynchronous Circuits and Systems Berkeley, CA Mar 12-14, 2007 http://conferences.computer.org/async2007/ ISPD'07 - Int'l Symposium on Physical Design Austin, TX Mar 18-21, 2007 http://www.ispd.cc/ DAC'07 - Design Automation Conference San Diego, CA Jun 4-8, 2007 http://www.dac.com/ ======================================================================== Upcoming funding opportunities ------------------------------- SRC Integrated Circuit and Systems Sciences (ICSS) - Circuit Design Deadline: August 18, 2006 http://www.src.org/fr/current_calls.asp?bhcp=1 Integrated Circuit and Systems Sciences (ICSS) - Integrated Systems Design Deadline: August 18, 2006 http://www.src.org/fr/current_calls.asp?bhcp=1 DOD Experimental and Theoretical Development of Quantum Information Science Deadline: December 11, 2006 http://www.arl.army.mil/main/Main/DownloadedInternetPages/CurrentPages/DoingBusinesswithARL/research/QC06Final6Jul06.pdf Enabling Technologies for Modeling and Simulation (BAA-03-12-IFKA) Deadline: September 30, 2008 http://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLRRS/BAA-03-12-IFKA/Modification%2005.html Joint National Training Capability Broad Agency Announcement Deadline: May 14, 2009 http://www.ntsc.navy.mil/Ebusiness/BusOps/Acquisitions/Index.cfm?RND=220990 BAA for Simulation and Training Technology R&D Deadline: Continuous until December 31, 2010 http://www.ntsc.navy.mil/EBusiness/BusOps/Acquisitions/Index.cfm?RND=868451 Optoelectronics: Components and Information Processing Deadline: Continuous http://www.afosr.af.mil/ResearchPrograms/optoelectronics.htm Software and Systems Deadline: Continuous http://www.afosr.af.mil/ResearchPrograms/software_and_systems.htm Information Fusion and Artificial Intelligence Deadline: Continuous http://www.afosr.af.mil/ResearchPrograms/information_fusion.htm Computational Mathematics Deadline: Continuous http://www.afosr.af.mil/ResearchPrograms/computational_mathematics.htm Electronics Design for Cold Environments (CRREL-66) Deadline: Continuous http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/contract/docs/FY2006BAA1.pdf Sensors, Sensor Systems, Data Acquisition, Processing, and Transmission Systems (ITL-6) Deadline: Continuous http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/contract/docs/FY2006BAA1.pdf High Performance Computing (HPC) and Networking (ITL-4) Deadline: Continuous http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/contract/docs/FY2006BAA1.pdf NSF Information and Intelligent Systems: Advancing Human-Centered Computing, Information Integration and Informatics, and Robust Intelligence (NSF 06-572) Deadline: October 19, 2006 for Large Projects November 02, 2006 for Medium Projects December 06, 2006 for Small Projects http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06572/nsf06572.htm Cyber Trust (CT) (NSF 06-517) Deadline: First Monday in February http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06517/nsf06517.htm Active Nanostructures and Nanosystems (ANN) (NSF 06-595) Deadline: November 15, 2006 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06595/nsf06595.htm Power, Controls and Adaptive Networks (PCAN) Deadline: September 7, 2006 - October 7, 2006 http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13380 Advanced Learning Technologies (ALT) (NSF 06-535) Deadline: April 25, 2007 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06535/nsf06535.htm Foundations of computing processes and Artifacts (NSF 06-585) Deadline: October 10, 2006 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06585/nsf06585.htm Instrument Development for Biological Research (IDBR) (NSF 06-570) Deadline: August 25, 2006 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06570/nsf06570.htm Operations Research (OR) Deadline: September 1, 2006 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13341&org=NSF&from=fund Information and Intelligent Systems: Advancing Human-Centered Computing, Information Integration and Informatics, and Robust Intelligence (NSF 06-572) Full Proposal Deadline(s): October 19, 2006 for Large Projects November 02, 2006 for Medium Projects December 06, 2006 for Small Projects http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06572/nsf06572.htm DARPA TRUST for Integrated Circuits (BAA06-40) Original Response Date: Aug 11, 2006 http://www.darpa.mil/baa/baa06-40.html Cognitive Information Processing Technology (BAA02-21) Deadline: June 5, 2007 http://www.darpa.mil/ipto/Solicitations/open/02-21_PIP.htm Advanced Soldier Sensor Information System and Technology Deadline: August 04, 2006 http://fedbizopps.cos.com/cgi-bin/eps/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/BAA04-38/listing.html?notice=MOD NASA Applied Information Systems Research Deadline: January 30, 2007 http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={0B64DB41-8F7D-C949-44CD-9D04A484B653}&path=open DOE Solid-State Lighting Core Technologies Deadline: June 27, 2006 https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/3b3cff0a4a1f243485256ec100490e1a/3d84c25df7cf18428525716c006d1004?OpenDocument Fellowship Sloan Research Fellowships Deadline: September 15, 2006 http://www.sloan.org/programs/scitech_fellowships.shtml ======================================================================== 5th SIGDA CADathlon at ICCAD 2006 --------------------------------- Get ready for the 5th edition of the SIGDA CADathlon at ICCAD 2006! Details about this year's competition, organization, and signing up are available at http://www.sigda.org/programs/cadathlon ======================================================================== Notice to Authors By submitting your contributions to ACM SIGDA, you acknowledge that they contain only your own work (minor edits by others are allowed) and are not subject to third-party licenses and copyrights. The contents of the ACM SIGDA newsletters are released by SIGDA into Public Domain, except when explicitly noted otherwise. SIGDA newsletters are routinely reproduced on the SIGDA Web site and the ACM Digital Library, may be reproduced in printed publications and appear on the Wikipedia Web site --- without express notice and royalties. If you wish to restrict the distribution of your work or retain copyright for your contribution, please contact the editors. Last revised by I. Markov - 05/21/06 ======================================================================== (This ACM/SIGDA E-NEWSLETTER is being sent to all persons on the ACM/SIGDA mailing list. To manage your subscription, go to "Subscriber's corner" on http://listserv.acm.org/ - you need to login using the email address where this newsletter is delivered. First time users will be required to choose a password.) ========================================================================