Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The funding requested in this equipment grant proposal is to acquire an infrastructure development system to support experimental components of the applicant's current and future research activities. The requested budget is to acquire a recently introduced development station for building high performance embedded controllers which combines the parallel processing power of FPGA technology with regular sequential processors. Almost all intelligent devices used in different areas such as communication systems, power and energy systems, robotics and mechatronics, and consumer electronics utilize the embedded computing technology. Availability of proper development tools is thus essential for developing such systems. The equipment is to be used in the area of mechatronics, robotics, and emerging fields such as micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) which require hard real-time controllers due to the fast dynamics of the systems involved. For example, the structural natural frequencies of MEMS/NEMS devices are generally in the range of several thousand Hertz; hence requiring tremendously high computing power for feedback control and signal processing. The requested equipment will be a key tool that will enable us to extend current research activities to challenging new areas such as control of MEMS devices, medical mechatronics, and next generation of embedded controllers. Recognizing the importance of a multi-disciplinary research program in training highly qualified personnel, the proposed equipment can provide a hands-on industry grade environment to be used by more than 5 graduate students and the applicant who are currently working on theoretical and simulation phases of the projects related to this proposal.