Master Thesis: Multi-core processor evaluation

At Saab, we constantly look ahead and push boundaries for what is considered technically possible. We collaborate with colleagues around the world who all share our challenge – to make the world a safer place.

What you will be a part of
In avionics equipment the demand for performance is increasing in e.g. mission planning, sensor-fusion and radar applications, which is the reason that we often use very advanced multi-core processors. These state-of the-art CPUs are very complex to verify and may therefore contain undetected bugs which may lead to failures in the aircraft system. It is therefore vital to gain experience and service hours from the usage of the component. This is called Product Service Experience. The proposed thesis will increase our knowledge in this area and also provide us with a tool to gain Product Service Experience for new components.

Your role
The intent of this Master thesis is to develop a framework for a typical avionic application. The application will stimulate the CPU in order to expose weaknesses or bugs related to the hardware or configuration of the hardware. The application consists of a cyclic hard real time control algorithm. The framework will contain the avionics application and a failure detection/diagnostic software component both running on Linux. The algorithm may be given as a UML or Simulink model and is not developed as a part of the Thesis.
There shall be an integrated web server to which it is possible to remotely login. The software shall be able to send emails on errors or as daily status mails.
The design shall be modular and easily portable to other platforms.
The supplied application shall expose possible bugs with respect to multicore functionality.
The software shall log service hours and temperature and report and save found errors
Step 1: Analyze the problem and create a conceptual design for the modular and portable framework
Step 2: Integrate the typical avionics application (control algorithm), possibly through code generation
Step 3: Port the application to the target and add webserver and email functionality
Step 4: Test and verify the application on a typical target board based on the Freescale multicore CPU T4240 (24 cores).

Your skills and experience
The Master thesis is best suited for one student and is carried out in Jönköping. It requires knowledge in embedded systems, software (C), Linux and computer architecture. Basic knowledge in Simulink and UML is a merit.

About Saab
Saab is a global defence and security company operating in the fields of air,land and naval defence, civil security and commercial aeronautics. We number 14,700 employees and have operations on all continents. Technologically we are leaders in many areas, and one-fifth of our earnings are spent on research and development. Saab is also a company with opportunities. A company where we see diversity as an asset and where you have both considerable responsibility and good opportunities for advancing in your career. But also a company that respects each person’s needs for a rewarding life beyond work.