JR Centre for Innovative Plattforms for Electronic-Based Systems

This JR Centre investigates new design methods for electronic devices based on field-programmable gate arrays in applications such as automation technology, driver assistance systems and electronic toll collection systems.

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are integrated circuits that can be programmed "in the field", i.e. after production. FPGAs consist of an array of programmable logic blocks that are wired via a hierarchical network of configurable interconnects. Since their market launch in the early 1980s, FPGAs have evolved from simple glue-logic building blocks to complex programmable multiprocessor Systems-on-Chip (SoC) and thus represent highly innovative platforms for electronic-based systems. Today, they are used in a variety of applications, such as telecommunications or automotive and consumer electronics. Market studies expect an increasing demand for these sophisticated microelectronic components. Especially for countries like Austria, where the economy is largely driven by small and medium-sized enterprises, FPGA technology offers a cost-efficient way to realize VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) designs. The degree of integration describes the number of transistors in an integrated circuit, whereby the term VLSI is used from around 10,000 transistors upwards. These VLSI systems make it possible to implement complex electronic devices in a compact way, thereby enabling applications such as computer vision systems for automated control, classification or detection of objects and people.

Applications to be investigated in this JR Centre include diagnostic systems for vehicles, electronic toll collection as well as high-precision clock synchronization. However, the JR Center’s research topics are also of interest, e.g. in the field of autonomous driving.