Boosting European innovation in low-energy computing with technology transfer experiments
Energy efficiency is a key design challenge for future computing systems, ranging from wireless embedded devices to high-performance computing centres. Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) that involve interacting digital, analogue, physical and human components are increasingly used in various areas like personalised healthcare, emergency response and traffic flow management. CPSs and the Internet of things (IoT) require a high degree of energy efficiency, and the development of such systems is dependent on effective power measurement. The EU-funded TETRAMAX project contributed to the development of a low-cost power measurement tool for embedded and customised low-energy computing (CLEC) systems. The technology was developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) as part of its involvement in the recently completed TULIPP project, while TETRAMAX provided funding through its Technology Transfer Experiments (TTX) initiative. A press release states: “Developed with technology transfer funding from TETRAMAX, the Horizon 2020 innovation hub for digitizing European industries in the domain of customized and low-energy computing, Lynsyn Lite has been engineered by NTNU in conjunction with Sundance Multiprocessor Technology, also a prominent member of the TULIPP consortium, to provide a low-cost, commercial implementation of the core Lynsyn technology.” The same press release adds: “Lynsyn Lite measures the power usage of individual sections of source code deployed in embedded and CLEC systems. It connects over JTAG [Joint Test Action Group] to non-intrusively sample the program counters of the system processors and correlate the power measurements with the source code, mapping consumption samples to application actions.” JTAG is an industry standard for defining how computer circuitry is tested in order to validate that it’s working properly after the manufacturing process.
Smart Anything Everywhere
In addition to the Lynsyn power measurement technology, TETRAMAX financially supports other TTX, such as EVErMORE: Energy-efficient Variation awarE MulticORE. “EVErMORE TTX experiment aims at developing the next generation GAP-8 IoT processor from GreenWaves Technologies,” as noted on the TETRAMAX project website. Thanks to the combination of a novel system architecture designed by the University of Bologna with processor technologies provided by GreenWaves Technologies, ultra-low–power IoT processors will enable battery-operated AI in IoT applications in an easy and cost-efficient way. The technology is summarised in a video on YouTube. The ongoing TETRAMAX (TEchnology TRAnsfer via Multinational Application eXperiments) project focuses on CLEC for CPSs and IoT within the framework of the European Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE) initiative. SAE involves boosting the digital transformation of the European industry through digital innovation hubs (DIHs). SAE’s goal is to help SMEs, start-ups and mid-caps to become more competitive through adoption of the latest digital technologies. The DIHs act as a one-stop shop, offering access to digital technologies and competences, infrastructure to test digital innovations, training to develop digital skills, financing advice, market intelligence and networking opportunities. TETRAMAX connects SMEs and mid-caps with international academics through different types of co-funded TTX. For more information, please see: TETRAMAX project website
Countries
Germany