Institutes in the North West Region of Ireland

Sites and Facilities

University of Ulster
The North West Regional College
The Letterkenny Institute of Technology

University of Ulster

The Intelligent System Research Centre (ISRC) is a research group within the Faculty of Engineering, on the Magee College campus of the University of Ulster, N. Ireland. The group consists of academic staff, research officers, PhD students and placement project students.

The ISRC group focuses primarily on the creation of computational systems displaying properties such as adaptation, reasoning, learning, communication and collaboration. Such systems are applied to a wide range of application areas including image processing, distance based learning, remote experimentation, self-repairing hardware, location based services and biomedical applications.

To facilitate the implementation of such applications in embedded systems, a number of hardware platforms are used including Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), microprocessor, robotics and wireless development systems. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) equipment meanwhile, facilitates the recording of brain activity using electroencephalogram or EEG signals.

Machines Microprocessor EpiCentre Equipment BCI Equipment

To support the development of such systems, a wide range of software tools are used including Xilinx and Mentor Graphics tool suites, the Matlab simulation environment, Ansoft EDA software and K-Team simulation tools for the development of robotic applications.

The core skills of the group include software modelling, mixed signal simulation, embedded system design, FPGA development, hardware algorithm acceleration and in general the design and implementation of intelligent systems applications.

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The North West Regional College

The North West Regional College is recognised nationally and internationally for its innovation in education and its links to business. The NWRC has been involved in over 90 EU funded projects; the money from these projects has enabled staff to become involved in a range of innovative curriculum development projects, which were specifically addressing the needs of industry. The NWRC site has a wide range of equipment used to develop products for innovation in industry.

The following are some of the amenities located on the NWRC site:

Printed Circuit Prototyping

PCB Layout Design
Prototype Production

Interactive Computing

Rapid Prototyping

Design
Modelling
Simulation
Prototyping

Microprocessor Development System

Embedded Systems
PLDs
PICs

Virtual Instrumentation Systems

Graphical Programming
Data Acquisition
Programmable Instrumentation

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The Letterkenny Institute of Technology

LYIT provides Donegal and the North West region with a wealth of third level education, priding itself on technology transfer. For example LYIT is at the forefront of embedded systems, it offers an honours degree solely on this discipline. The academics, researchers and students involved are all exposed to and employ a broad spectrum of technologies. LYIT understands being at the forefront requires adaptation to new technologies, this is highlighted by LYIT being one of the first institutes out of a small number to adopt Cypress PSoC and PRoC technologies for embedded and wireless embedded designs in both teaching and industrial solutions.

The EpiCentre site at LYIT is a critical bridge in implementing LYIT's knowledge transfer ethos, strengthening the synergy between academia and industry. Overall, realising the primary objective:- of creating a sustainable cross border technology infrastructure, to benefit the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland with the vision of a new Ireland.

A general overview of key areas of interest at LYIT are:-

Embedded systems / SoC design