Dr Vladimir Ivchenko has accomplished a wide variety of electronics-related projects. He has completed full development cycles for most of the projects; from concept through scientific validation, to the implementation of industrial samples.
Vladimir’s most recent projects are highlighted below:
Project: VPX Single Board Computers
Client: Concurrent Technologies, Theale, UK. Application: Electronic Warfare and Cyber Security.
Developed two chipsets for Single Board Computers based on Microsemi FPGA ProASIC3. Introduced new architectures for automated simulation environment and for unified configuration modules.
Project: PCIe Radio Receiver 100kHz to 18GHz
Client: CRFS Company, Cambridge, UK, USA. Application: Security
The PCIe Radio Receiver has been made to be capable for 24/7 monitoring of RF threats. Fulfilled tasks: Resolved bugs and timing issues for Xilinx Kintex FPGA project. Migrated project from Xilinx ISE to Vivado. Delivered comprehensive testbench based on SystemVerilog DPI for FPGA-uC co-simulation. Developed schematic and PCB with PCIe switch for i7 processor carrier board.
Project: Platform for Oil Wells Monitoring
Client: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, UK, USA. Application: Oil industry
This is a new generation of surface panel for wireline logging. The tool is based on multicore SoC Xilinx FPGA Zynq Ultrascale+. The system utilizes extensive digital signal processing (DSP) to communicate with down hole equipment at 33,000 feet depth and with computerized control terminals. Embedded Linux (GE Edge) runs in SoC FPGA and controls interaction of all components.
Project: Radar processor for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems Data Distribution Services
Client: EnSilica Limited, UK. Application: Automotive industry
This project is dedicated to the automotive industry. The processor analyses Radar data and detects targets and their associated range, speed, azimuth and elevation. System encompasses two FPGAs (Xilinx and Lattice) and comprises SCI-2 and LVDS protocol controllers.
Project: Software Testing for Central Driver Assistance System
Client: Valeo, Germany. Application: Automotive industry
This project is also devoted to the automotive industry. The system collects information from a variety of sensors which assist driving to high safety and convenience standards. The sensors include ultrasonic, long and mid-range radar, video camera, laser scanner and sat nav.
Project: Electronic Platform for Ultrasonic Measurements
Client: TSK Solutions Ltd, UK. Application: Oil and Gas industry
An OEM platform for ultrasonic process monitoring and non-destructive testing.
Hardware: Low-noise variable gain amplifiers, 350 MHz dual ADC, FPGA Xilinx Artix7, DDR3 memory, USB controller, low- and high-voltage DC/DC converters, high-speed ultrasonic drivers, temperature sensor.
Firmware: FPGA-VHDL. Software: C++ API DLL. Tools: Xilinx ISE and Vivado, Altium PCB, Microsoft Visual Studio.
Project: Vehicle Contour Recognition System
Client: Eeins GmbH, Germany. Application: Automotive industry
This project included the development of hardware and software for a vehicle contour recognition system.
The system is used in the automotive manufacturer’s laboratory for the characterisation of the ultrasonic parking assistance system.
Project: High Sensitive Automotive Sensor Platform for Parking Assistant System
Application: Automotive industry
Vladimir achieved a 4x distance range increase of the industrial 50 KHz automotive sensor by employing an PRBS approach. The system was patented.
Hardware: Low-noise amplifiers, ADC, FPGA Xilinx Spartan6, USB controller, low- and high-voltage DC/DC converters, high-speed ultrasonic drivers.
Firmware: FPGA VHDL. Software: C++ API DLL. Tools: Xilinx ISE, Xilinx System Generator, Eagle PCB, Microsoft Visual Studio, Matlab.
Project: Custom USB interface to FPGA
Project: Software platform for the automatic generation of VHDL firmware and C++ code for DLL API and MFC user interface
The aim of the project was to develop a USB interface for ultrasonic instrumentation electronics that implements data transfers and FPGA programming via USB. The software and FPGA firmware implement the EPP interface to the digital core.
MS Excel Visual Basic software is used for the specification and automatic generation of C++ code, handling all interaction with the FPGA-based platform and implementing components of the MFC user interface. Also for the generation of VHDL code fitting the set specifications.
Tools: Xilinx ISE, Xilinx ChipScope Pro, Microsoft Visual Studio
Project: 128-channels Compact Ultrasonic Array Controller with On-Board Image Processor
Project 1
Project 2
Application: Instrumentation and Measurement industry
The project aims to establish theoretical and practical approaches for the development of challenging compact electronics for an ultrasonic array controller and imaging processor mounted in the housing of the 128 transducer array. A high resolution ultrasonic image is obtained by a Full Matrix Capture algorithm and processed through the Total Focusing Method by the onboard electronics. The system utilises the Pseudo Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) excitation and post-processing technique to attain sensitivity in materials with high attenuation.
Vladimir estimated the technology and architectural factors influencing the system's effectiveness and developed an architectural model that allowed the derivation of an optimal system architecture in the performance-cost-size basis.
Hardware: Two Xilinx Spartan6 FPGAs, USB controller, DDR2 memory, front-end ADC, Hitachi HV pulsers, DC/DC converters.
Firmware: VHDL FPGA. Software: C API DLL, MFC C++ User Interface. Tools: Matlab, Simulink, Cadence Encounter RTL Compiler, Xilinx System Generator, Xilinx ISE and Vivado, Microsoft Visual Studio
Project: Wide Dynamic Range Ultrasonic Spectrometer
Application: Chemical industry
This project arose as an implementation of Vladimir's previous scientific research to obtain a super-sensitivity of the ADC well below the quantisation level, and to achieve a tolerance to high levels of noise. This was used in a novel Ultrasonic Spectrometer capable of measuring 170 dB of dynamic range signals. The results of the project were commercialised and licensed to industry.
Project: ACPD system for ageing monitoring of high-pressure high-temperature constructions
Application: Chemical industry
The project was intended to employ Alternative Current Potential Drop (ACPD) to control the condition of high-pressure pipes. This part relates to controllable current source.
Tools: LTspiceIV, Eagle PCB
Project: High Resolution Time Domain Ultrasonic System
Application:: Chemical industry
The project was aimed at the development of architectural principles for building an ultrasonic measurement system with a very high time-resolution. It implemented a new Accurate Interleaved Sampling and on-the-fly averaging architecture. The high 1.5 GHz effective sampling frequency was achieved with a single 50 MHz ADC. The system was implemented on a Xilinx FPGA development board XtremeDSP Development Kit Virtex-2.
Project: Custom Ultrasonic Front-End ASICs
Application: Instrumentation and measurement industry
Two integrated circuits were developed: single channel and sixteen channels mixed analogue/digital custom ASICs in Cadence design environment. The ICs were manufactured by Europractice and used with custom PCBs for ultrasonic measurements.
Tools: Cadence Virtuoso Layout, Spectre, ADE, Encounter, Eagle PCB.
