Courses
Title: GIF-4202 - Design of VLSI Systems
Description: Elements of integrated circuit design from a systems point-of-view, favoring a top-down methodology. Emphasis is on reconfigurable logic (FPGA). At the end of this course, students should have a good grasp of the VHDL language (including advanced features such as structural recursion, libraries, packages, configurations, and flexible components using generics) for both synthesis and simulation; should master an FPGA-based design flow as well as various design techniques including control unit / processing unit and System-on-Chip (SoC) methodologies, arithmetic circuits, efficient state machines, multiplexers, shifters, etc.
Title: GIF-4201/GEL7016 – Digital Microelectronics
Description: CMOS integrated circuit design from a structural, low-level point-of-view, favoring a bottom-up methodology. Emphasis is on the design, analysis, modelling and physical layout of low-level circuit structures in CMOS, and their progressive assembly to construct complex structures. Combinational circuits (simple and complex gates, transmission-gate-based logic, DC and transient characteristic, fan-in and fan-out) and sequential circuits (latches, flip-flops, C2MOS, edge-triggered, master-slave, clocking disciplines) are extensively studied, as well as various design techniques (logical effort, transistor sizing). The Verilog language is introduced for both low-level structural (logic gates and transistors) and behavioral modeling. Physical layout practices and design rules are studied (lambda-based design, Weinberger routing, layout of circuits with aligned diffusion regions through graph theory), culminating with a major team project. The project in winter 2008 was a simple stack-based processor.
Title: GEL-4069/GEL-7069 – Analog and Mixed-Signal Microelectronics
Description: This course is about analysis and design of CMOS analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, emphasizing fundamentals as well as advanced approaches that students and practicing engineers need to master in today’s industry. Emphasis is on basic and advanced circuit design, fabrication, modeling and simulation of CMOS and BiCMOS integrated circuits. Several analog and mixed-signal functions are covered, such as data conversion, biasing, continuous and discrete signal processing, etc. Several circuits and systems are analyzed, such as amplifiers, data converters, current mirrors, comparators, continuous and discrete filters, voltage references, etc.
Title: GEL-4072/GEL-7072 – Bioinstrumentation and Biomedical Microsystems
Description: This course provides a specialized training about new emerging biomedical devices with a strong emphasis on bioinstrumentation techniques and design of various biomicrosystems. Special care is given to the design of CMOS integrated systems and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) dedicated to various implantable and wearable biomedical applications. In particular, the course covers implantable systems, brain-computer interfaces, lab-on-chip and several types of biosensors, such as biopotential electrodes, biochips for molecular analysis, microfluidic systems, and BioMEMS. Microfabrication techniques, biomaterials and practical aspects are covered as well.
Title: GEL-7073 – Theory and Application of Biomicrofluidique
Description: In this course different aspects related to microfluidic will be covered such as liquid flows, particle manipulation with electrical and magnetic field, particle manipulation with Ultra wave, Optics in microfluidic, microfluidic microfabrication and packaging. Fabrication techniques of microfluidic devices are covered including photolithography, dry and wet etching and laser. This course cover also hybrid integration of microelectronics/microfluidics with emphasis on circuit design for microfluidic applications. This course includes session project which can be done on Cadence, ANSYS, Comsol or Altium
Other courses that use Cadence:
GEL-3000 - Integrated electronic components
GIF-2000 - Electronics for computer engineers
GEL-2004 - Design II
GEL-3004 - Design III
GEL-3005 - Design IV
Electronic and project courses often require students to use Cadence tools. Assignments focusing on electronics and components will invite students to use Orcad PSpice for circuit simulation and to better understand systems and functions. Design courses focus on semester long projects which can involve a variety of subject related to electrical and computer engineering. Circuit simulations as well as VLSI and PCB designs, are frequent tasks that require students to use Cadence tools.
Research projects
Title: Smart biomedical microsystems
Principal investigator:
Benoit Gosselin, Professor
benoit.gosselin@gel.ulaval.ca
http://www.biomicrosystems.ulaval.ca/
Type: Custom IC, PCB and Digital IC
Description:
Recent advances in low-power electronics created opportunities to build miniature devices to wirelessly monitor various vital signs and biological parameters. This program aims at developing novel low-power electronic design techniques and high-performance CMOS microsystem-based platforms that will increase the lifetime and the reliability of various innovative microsystems employed in several health and life science applications. Key elements will be investigated to support clinical and research applications in the two following areas: 1) Implantable devices for neuroscience research/clinical applications, and 2) wireless body sensor netwroks for personal health and smart rehabilitation solutions.
Title: Low-power bio-electronic interfaces for wireless brain monitoring
Principal investigator:
Benoit Gosselin, Professor
benoit.gosselin@gel.ulaval.ca
http://www.biomicrosystems.ulaval.ca/
Type: Custom IC, PCB and Digital IC
Description:
Emerging brain-interfacing technology has a tremendous potential for the advancement of knowledge and for the development of useful clinical applications. The development of such technology into reliable, small-scale and chronically implantable devices represents hope for patients suffering from neurological disorders like paralysis and Parkinson. This research will examine the use of novel low-power bioinstrumentation means for the realization of highly parallel multi-channel brain-interfacing sensors.
Title: Design and implementation of a wireless EMG Sensor network for smart remote prosthetic control
Principal investigator:
Benoit Gosselin, Professor
benoit.gosselin@gel.ulaval.ca
http://www.biomicrosystems.ulaval.ca/
Type: Custom IC, PCB and Digital IC
Description:
Remote prostheses have considerable importance in rehabilitation domain and their direct control through neuromuscular activities is a milestone for improving these devices to be naturally driven and imitate real limbs. However, due to technical challenges, this approach has not developed into viable clinical setting yet. In fact, establishing a wired connection between the body and a remote prosthetic device is awkward for the patient. Obviously, it limits the patients freedom to move and they are not willing to be tied by wires, especially for long time. This project is focussing on building a wireless sensor network to eliminate wires while gathering the EMG activities from several muscles. In designing a wireless EMG sensor node, we pursue two main goals: 1) designing a wireless sensor that can command remote prostheses in real time based on EMG activities, 2) implementing an autonomous very low-power consumption integrated circuit node that will function for long lifetime. The envisioned system will be enabling to read EMG from multiple muscles for days employing a small battery.
Title: Potentiostat Array to Measure Neuronal Chemical Activity
Principal investigator:
Amine Miled, Assistant Professor
amine.miled@gel.ulaval.ca
http://labiotron.gel.ulaval.ca
Type: Microfluidic, microelectronics, Lab-on-chip
Description:
The measurment of neuronal chemical activity is subject to intense research for a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. With new advances in microelectronics and microfluidics, as well as new microfabrication technologies, it is now possible to design microelectronic circuits that can interface with biological fluids to measure the intra-neuronal electrical activity or molecular exchange (neurotransmitters). Thus, we propose in this research project to design an array of potentiostats to measure the concentration change between neurons at the nanoscale.
Keywords : Potentiostat, Microelectronics, Lab-on-Chip, Microfabrication
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