Maryland DSPCAD Research Group
This webpage describes the CDS-HEP Project at the University of Maryland, College Park. In this project, we are developing methods and tools for design and implementation of complex digital systems (CDS) for high energy physics (HEP) applications. Our project is a collaborative project involving research groups at the University of Maryland at College Park (UMD), and University of Wisconsin at Madison (UW).
The objective of this research is to investigate novel techniques and tools to enable geographically-distributed, multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers to design, integrate, and test complex digital systems for high energy physics. The approach is to (1) develop design methodologies that allows investigators from different institutions and disciplines to collaborate on complex digital systems, (2) establish an Internet-based design framework that includes version control, automated testing, and hardware/software change tracking, and (3) utilize hierarchical dataflow specifications to model, test, and implement these systems.
The project will provide new techniques to design complex digital systems and will give new insights into these systems. These techniques will be used to design and test a trigger system in the upgraded Large Hadron Collider. The upgraded collider has the potential to lead to exciting discoveries in high energy physics, such as improved understanding of particle mass generation, extra dimensions, dark matter, and supersymmetry, which introduces a partner for each known particle.
The DICE package (DSPCAD Integrative Command-line Environment) is a major outcome and spin-off activity of this project. DICE is a software package that facilitates efficient management of software projects. Key areas of emphasis in DICE are cross-platform operation, support for model-based design methodologies, support for projects that integrate heterogeneous programming languages, and support for applying and integrating different kinds of design and testing methodologies.
For more information about DICE and download access to the software, see the DICE Project Webpage.
A list of publications related to the CDS-HEP project, and PDF versions of selected publications can be found on the CDS-HEP Project Publications Page.
This work is sponsored by the U. S. National Science Foundation under grant NSF-ECCS0823989.
This webpage was last updated on August 15, 2011.