PVT-aware leakage reduction for on-die caches with improved read stability

Effectiveness of previous SRAM leakage reduction techniques vary significantly as the leakage variation gets worse with process and temperature fluctuation. This paper proposes a simple circuit technique that adaptively trades off overhead energy for maximum leakage savings under severe leakage variations. The proposed run-time leakage reduction technique for on-die SRAM caches considers architectural access behavior to determine how often the SRAM blocks should enter a sleep mode. A self-decay circuit generates a periodic sleep pulse with an adaptive pulse period, which puts the SRAM array into a sleep mode more frequently at high leakage conditions (fast process, high temperature) and vice versa. An 0.18-/spl mu/m 1.8-V 16-kbyte SRAM testchip shows 94.2% reduction in SRAM cell leakage at a performance penalty less than 2%. Measurement results also indicate that our proposed memory cell improves SRAM static noise margin by 25%.     

A control-theoretic approach to distributed discrete-valued decision-making in networks of sensing agents

We address the problem of global sensor fusion for the purpose of distributed decision-making, from a control-theoretic perspective. In particular, we introduce a quasi-linear stochastic distributed protocol, using which a network of sensing agents can reach agreement in order to take a collective action. Using control-theoretic methods, we design the parameters of our protocol - which include weights in the local update rules used by the agents and a finite stopping time - to achieve agreement in a fair and rapid manner. We show analytically that the developed protocol achieves fair agreement with certainty in the noise-free case and achieves fair agreement with high probability even in the presence of communication noise and assuming very little information storage capability for the agents. Our development is illustrated throughout with a canonical example motivated by autonomous vehicle control.     

Distributed Arithmetic based Split-Radix FFT

In this paper we have designed a Split-radix type FFT unit without using multipliers. All the complex multiplications required for this type of FFT are implemented using Distributed Arithmetic (DA) technique. A method is incorporated to overcome the result overflow problem introduced by DA method. Proposed FFT architecture is implemented in 180 nm CMOS technology at a supply voltage of 1.8 V.     

Temperature-Dependent Giant Magnetoimpedance Effect in Amorphous Soft Magnets

Giant magnetoimpedance (GMI)-based devices offer potential as next-generation low-cost, flexible, ultrasensitive sensors. They can be used in applications that include current sensors, field sensors, stress sensors, and others. Challenging applications involve operation at high temperatures, and therefore studies of GMI temperature dependence and performance of soft magnetic materials are needed. We present a high-temperature GMI study on an amorphous soft magnetic microwire from room temperature to 560°C. The GMI ratio was observed to be nearly constant at ～86% at low temperatures and to decrease rapidly at ～290°C, finally reaching a near-zero value at 500°C. The rapid drop in GMI ratio at 290°C is associated with a reduction in the long-range ferromagnetic order as measured by the spontaneous magnetization (M) at the Curie temperature (T _c). We also correlated the impedance with the magnetic properties of the material. From room temperature to 290°C, the impedance was found to be proportional to the square root of the magnetization to magnetic anisotropy ratio. Lastly, M(T) has been fit using a Handrich–Kobe model, which describes the system with a modified Brillouin function and an asymmetrical distribution of exchange interactions. We infer that the structural fluctuations of the amorphous phase result in a relatively small asymmetry in the fluctuation parameters.     

Microstructured air-silica fibres: Recent developments in modelling, manufacturing and experiment

The main modelling methods devoted to microstructured air-silica optical fibres (MOFS) are presented and discussed. Then, the specific propagation properties ofMOFS are studied in detail. Characteristics measured on fibres manufactured in our laboratory or reported in the literature are analysed. A large number of potential and demonstrated applications are presented and the obtained performances are discussed. A particular attention is given to hollow-core photonic bandgap fibres and their applications.     

Donor/Acceptor‐Modified Electrodes for Photoelectrochemical and Photobioelectrochemical Applications

A 7‐pyrrolidino‐7‐benzylamino‐8,8‐dicyanoquinodimethane, PBEDQ, ( 1 ), donor–acceptor–modified electrode yields, in the presence of hydroquinone, ( 2 ), an anodic photocurrent with quantum efficiency of 1.5%. The PBEDQ‐functionalized electrode yields, in the presence of the electron acceptor diquat, ( 3 ), a cathodic photocurrent with a quantum efficiency corresponding to 2.1%. The electron transfer cascades leading to the anodic or cathodic photocurrents in the different systems are discussed. It is further demonstrated that the integration of 1,4‐dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NADH, as electron donor, with the PBEDQ‐modified electrode leads to an anodic photocurrent. This allowed the assembly of a photobioelectrochemical integrated electrode composed of the photoactive PBEDQ donor–acceptor compound, NAD⁺ as cofactor, and the NAD⁺‐dependent glucose dehydrogenase, GDH. Irradiation of the integrated electrode in the presence of glucose results in the GDH–biocatalyzed oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid with the concomitant generation of NADH that acts as electron donor for the photoactive donor–acceptor PBEDQ units, leading to the generation of steady‐state anodic photocurrent. The photocurrent intensities are controlled by the concentrations of glucose. The integrated PBEDQ/NAD⁺/GDH electrodes introduces a functional photobioelectrochemical electrode for the detection of glucose, and demonstrates the assembly of a functional photo‐biofuel cell that uses light and a biomass product (glucose) for the generation of electric power.     

Multiple feedback algorithm for RFID MAC protocols

This letter introduces a new tree-based anti-collision scheme using multiple feedbacks for uplink tag random access in a single-cell scenario. We examine MAC efficiency improvements that result from the proposed scheme in terms of uplink (UL) throughput for emerging radio frequency identification (RFID) networks, and compare it with the conventional tree based RFID MAC in ISO 18000-6 Type B standard.     

Design of linear phase FIR filters using the LMS algorithm

The application of the stochastic gradient (least mean square) algorithm, the design of linear phase finite impulse response (FIR) filters, is discussed. Analytical results are presented and supported by simulation experiments to demonstrate the superior performance of the LMS algorithm equipped with the linear phase constraint as compared to the standard LMS algorithm     

India's fast growing power sector - from regional development to the growth of a national grid

This paper describes the efforts of the Indian government to upgrade its power system to account for the increasing interconnections due to rapid regional development. These include the unibus act (EA2003), which addresses the issue of public sector monopoly and opens up the field for competition, private participation and reforms, and the implementation of the ABT to the intrastate level. The reforms and restructuring policies of the government have assured an adequate rate of return to investors. The national electricity policy implementation is expected to fulfill the aim of meeting more demand at a higher security level.     

Electrical and photovoltaic response of bulk hetero-junction device made from poly (3-phenyl azo methine thiophene) (PPAT) and 1, 1′-diallyl substituted 4, 4′-dipyridine (DADP)

Electrical and photovoltaic properties of donor–acceptor composite system comprised of poly (3-phenyl azo methine thiophene) (PPAT) and 1, 1′–diallyl substituted 4, 4′-dipyridine (DADP) were investigated. A significant enhancement of photocurrent was observed when PPAT was blended with DADP. The increase in photocurrent has been explained in terms of efficient charge separation that resulted from the transfer of photo-excited electrons from PPAT to DADP. The strong quenching of fluorescence of PPAT was caused by the presence of DADP that indicates the photo-induced charge transfer from PPAT to DADP. The open circuit voltage (V_oc) generated in the device is independent of the variation of work function of negative metal electrode that has been explained in terms of Fermi level pinning between DADP and metal via surface charges. The electrical characteristics of ITO/PPAT: DADP/Al photovoltaic device were determined by analyzing the dependence of short circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) and V_oc under illumination at different temperatures. The V_oc decreases almost linearly with increasing temperature, while short-circuit photocurrent increases logarithmically with temperature and saturates at higher temperature above 330 K. This dependence of J_sc and V_oc on temperature has been discussed in terms of possible mechanism that involves the photovoltage generation and charge carrier transport in the device under thermally activated state. The photovoltaic device made from PPAT: DADP blend has shown three times higher photosensitivity than that of made from pure PPAT.