A new method for in situ measurement of parameters and degradation processes in modern nanoscale programmable devices

This paper presents a new method and results from measurement of internal parameters of programmable nanoscale circuits, namely Xilinx FPGA devices and especially Zynq SoC devices designed on 28 nm TSMC’s technology and older 45 nm Spartan 6 device as well as Xilinx Virtex product lines. The method utilizes a new undersampling approach for frequency measurement and an easy way of processing BRAM data streams. The proposed flexible circuits have been used in various measurements of timing parameters and delays in FPGAs, including measurements or detection of the aging issues. The paper presents results of measurements under various core voltage values as performed on selected Xilinx FPGA platforms, including key results about limited usability of the latest 28 nm devices under accelerated conditions and possibility of studying or mitigating aging effects in FPGAs. The paper presents rare results of experiments, real measurements and data available from current as well as previous technology nodes and it attempts to uncover new facts and areas of the latest high-end technologies, including the area of aging and degradation processes in general. The new methodology, presented approach and results can also be used in various dependable systems, including selected aerospace, medical, automotive or transportation ones. It is also directly and easily applicable to modern processor and multicore systems.     

Efficiency analysis of information technology and online social networks management: An integrated DEA-model assessment

This paper analyses the relationship between productive efficiency and online-social-networks (OSN) in Spanish telecommunications firms. A data-envelopment-analysis (DEA) is used and several indicators of business “social Media” activities are incorporated. A super-efficiency analysis and bootstrapping techniques are performed to increase the model's robustness and accuracy. Then, a logistic regression model is applied to characterise factors and drivers of good performance in OSN. Results reveal the company's ability to absorb and utilise OSNs as a key factor in improving the productive efficiency. This paper presents a model for assessing the strategic performance of the presence and activity in OSN.     

A decision-support system for the design and management of warehousing systems

The issue of material handling involves the design and operative control of warehousing systems (i.e., distribution centres), which allow matching vendors and demands, smoothing with seasonality, consolidating products and arranging distribution activities. Warehousing systems play a crucial role in providing efficiency and customer satisfaction. The warehouse design entails a wide set of decisions, which involve layout constraints and operative issues that seriously affect the performances and the overall logistics costs.     

A modified Min Sum decoding algorithm based on LMMSE for LDPC codes

A new modified Min Sum decoding algorithm based on parameter estimation theory for Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes is presented in this paper. First, Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE) estimate criterion is used to model the magnitude of check-to-variable message and calculate estimated parameters, furthermore the golden section search algorithm is used to speed up getting the boundary, with which the parameters can be determined. Then, the parameters are modified further on the basis of the relationship between the iteration number and the estimated parameters. Finally, the same estimated parameters are used for different signal to noise ratio (SNR) to ensure the decoding performance and reduce the hardware complexity. The simulation results show that a gain of 0.3–0.5 dB can be achieved in comparison with other kinds of modified Min Sum algorithms, which is very close to that of BP algorithm. What's more, the algorithm has the following characteristics: low computation complexity, small decoding delay, easiness of calculation for estimated parameters, and simplicity in hardware implementation.