On Design of Parallel Memory Access Schemes for Video Coding

Some of the modern powerful digital signal processors (DSPs) have byte-addressable internal data memory. This property is valuable especially in computationally demanding inter frame video encoding, where data accesses are typically unaligned according to word boundaries. The byte-addressable memory allows load or store command to start accessing from any byte-address, providing at most as many successive bytes from subsequent addresses as data bus can handle in parallel. Maybe the simplest way to construct such a byte-addressable memory is to use N 8-bit memory modules or banks to be accessed in parallel, when N is data bus width in bytes. However, in addition to byte-addressable subsequent bytes, memory consisting of parallel memory modules can provide much more versatile addressing capabilities with reasonable implementation cost. Versatile access formats can significantly reduce the need for data reordering in the register file. At first, we provide motivation for using parallel memory architecture with versatile access formats as an internal on-chip data memory of modern DSP. After this, notations are described and general view of parallel memory design is given. We propose some example parallel data memory architecture designs with data access formats especially helpful in H.263 encoding and MPEG-4 core profile motion and texture encoding. The examples are given for different data bus widths (16, 32, 64, and 128 bits). Finally, performance is shortly compared to other memory architectures and area, delay, and power figures are estimated.Jarno K. Tanskanen was born in Joensuu, Finland in 1975. He studied analog and digital electronics in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and computer architecture in the Department of Information Technology at Tampere University of Technology, where he received his M.Sc. degree in 1999. He is currently working as a research scientist in the Institute of Digital and Computer Systems at TUT. His Dr.Tech. research concerns parallel processing of video compression. jarno.tanskanen@tut.fiReiner Creutzburg received his Diploma in Mathematics in 1976 and attained his Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1984 from the Rostock University, Germany. Prof. Creutzburg has published 3 books, filed 2 patents, and produced approximately 100 articles, preprint, and conference papers. Professional Experience: Since 2000—Part-time Professor for Multimedia technology, Tampere University of Technology, Finland. Since 1992—Full-time Professor of Computer Science, Fachhochschule Brandenburg-University of Applied Sciences, Brandenburg, Germany. 1990 to 1992—Assistant Professor, University of Karlsruhe, Institute of Algorithms and Cognitive Systems, Germany. 1987 to 1989—Head of the Research Section Image Processing. 1986 to 1989—Founder and Head of the International Base Laboratory of Image Processing and Computer Graphics for East European countries at the Central Institute of Cybernetics and Information Processes of the Academy of Sciences (Berlin), Germany. 1976 to 1989—Researcher and Assistant Professor in various Universities and the Academy of Sciences, Central Institute of Cybernetics and Information, Berlin. creutzburg@fh-brandenburg.deJarkko T. Niittylahti was born in Orivesi, Finland, in 1962. He received the M.Sc, Lic.Tech, and Dr.Tech degrees at Tampere University of Technology (TUT) in 1988, 1992, and 1995, respectively. From 1987 to 1992, he was a researcher at TUT. In 1992–93, he was a researcher at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1993–95, he was with Nokia Consumer Electronics, Bochum, Germany, and in 1995–97 with Nokia Research Center, Tampere, Finland. In 1997–2000, he was a Professor at Signal Processing Laboratory, TUT, and in 2000–2002 at Institute of Digital and Computer Systems, TUT. Currently, he is a Docent of Digital Techniques at TUT and the managing director of Staselog Ltd. He is also a co-founder and President of Atostek Ltd. He is interested in designing digital systems and architectures. jarkko.niittylahti@tut.fi     

Berechnung und Meßmethode zur Bestimmung des Temperaturgefälles und des Wärmeübergangskoeffizienten bei der direkten Kühlung von Stahldraht

Direkte Wasserkühlung von Stahldraht nach dem Ziehvorgang. Berechnung des Temperaturgefälles in einem dem Ziehhol nachgeschalteten Kühlrohr. Messung der Drahttemperaturdifferenz zwischen Kühlrohrein- und -austritt mit der Infrarotthermometrie zur Bestimmung des Wärmeübergangskoeffizienten an der Drahtoberfläche. Ermittlung des Emissionsgrades.     

The incidental detection of gallium-67 citrate in a urinoma following a right pyeloplasty: a case report

An abnormal accumulation of radionuclide was identified within the right juxtadiaphragmatic and juxtahepatic spaces during gallium-67 citrate scintigraphy in a post-pyeloplasty patient. Its mode of presentation, the recent pyeloplasty and the known biologic distribution of gallium suggested that it represented gallium-67 concentration within a postoperatively created urinoma. Diagnosis was confirmed by excretory urography and laparotomy.     

Improvement of accuracy in determining flow stress in hot upsetting tests

Knowledge of correct flow stress curves of steel at high temperatures is of essential importance for reliable plasto-mechanical simulations in materials processing and for an effective planning and designing of industrial hot forming schedules. Error considerations of flow curve determinations allow an estimation of the quality of flow curves. The experiments are performed on a computer controlled servo-hydraulic test maschine. Flow stress errors are calculated as a function of geometry deviations (due to thermal expansion, scaling, predeformation and inaccuracies in specimen geometry), temperature and strain rate deviations. The influence of friction and initial microstructure on flow curves have to be considered. Metal flow can be improved by using a suitable specimen geometry and lubricants. Thermal treatment before testing has to provide a microstructure, similar to the real structure of the material. Different initial microstructures (from varying thermal treatments) influence the overall magnitude of the flow stress curve. Using the flow stress data in a rolling simulation programme the effects on forming loads and torques are analysed.     

Influence of flow stress accuracy on the results of metal forming processes

During the determination of flow stress measuring errors in the range of ± 10% may easily occur. These measuring errors are transmitted to a greater or lesser extent to the FEM analysis. An evaluation of the influence of stress-strain curve errors in the FEM calculation of forming processes and its results was made using the ABAQUS programme package for the simulation of the rolling process and using the FINEL programme package for the simulation of the upsetting process. Both programmes describe force and equivalent stress with the same accuracy as the stress-strain curve does. Lateral and longitudinal flow behaviour appears relatively insensitive to measuring errors in the determination in the stress-strain curve, as does local strain. Attention should be payed, however, to the calculation of individual stress components. In these cases the errors may be compounded during the calculation.     

Polarization modulation-infrared reflection absorption spectroscopic mapping

Polarization modulation-infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) has been coupled with a stepwise mapping of the sample in order to characterize the molecular orientation across the surface. An optical setup has been developed to facilitate the PM-IRRAS mapping. With PM-IRRAS mapping used in conjunction with a common FT-IR spectrometer, the achievable lateral resolution of approximately 45 mum is energy-limited rather than diffraction-limited. PM-IRRAS mapping was used to study the molecular orientation of octadecanephosphonic acid (OPA) molecules attached on a microstructured aluminum oxide/gold surface. The spectroscopic map reveals that OPA is preferably spotty attached on the aluminum oxide surface. The attached molecules form a highly ordered film. A lower degree of ordering was found for phosphonic acid adsorbed on gold mainly in a tridentate bonding mode. Results demonstrate that PM-IRRAS mapping has a considerable potential for revealing inhomogenities within ultrathin films attached on a surface.     

Die Sanierung der stählernen Wagenhalle des Bornheimer Depots – Teil 1: Die konstruktive Ausbildung und Bewertung der Denkmalschutzwürdigkeit der beiden Stahlhallen und deren planerische Umgestaltung

The redevelopment of the iron tram shed from 1902 of the Bornheim tram depot in Frankfurt, Germany. There were two tram sheds dating from 1902 built in the rivet construction method on the grounds of the Bornheim tram depot in Frankfurt which as a whole is no longer required. The department for the protection of historical monuments classified the larger one of the two tram sheds, a building structure consisting of three naves, as a historical monument, thus corresponding to a report published by the ISIB (institute for welding technique & engineer's office Dr. Möll GmbH). The tram shed was bought by an investor who, in co‐operation with his architect, planned a modern shopping‐centre with the premise to conserve as much of the original building fabric as possible. The erection of an underground car park made the demolition of the tram shed inevitable. A concept of the ISIB was put into practice which recommended the deconstruction of the shed into transportable modules and to have them seen to by a company specialising in structural steelwork. Thereafter the concept recommended the application of a protective coating against steel corrosion and the installation of the necessary thermal insulation before rebuilding the tram shed at the same site but on top of the concrete roof slab of the underground car park.