Research Synergies
Mixed-signal team: Nations largest
Number of GEDC/GTAC members:
45
Major tape outs per year:
25
Number of faculty:
30
Number of research engineers:
250
Lab and testbed infrastructure:
$16
million
Annual research funding:
$10
million
Number of laboratories:
12
Number of testbeds:
4
This publication was produced by the
Georgia Tech Research News & Publications Office:
John Toon, project manager Everett Hullum, designer
Gary Goettling, writer Gary Meek, photographer
About the Cover: The cover of this publication shows some of the work
of the Georgia Electronic Design Center: chips designed by GEDC researchers.
The Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) supports world-class research,
active and solution-oriented industry collaboration, intellectual property
generation and revenue generating commercialization efforts. GEDC activities
are supported by industry partners and state and federal laboratories.
GEDC/GTAC ... by the Numbers GEDC 2004 Report Card
Number of students graduated:
21
Number of patents/records of invention:
14
Number of conference presentations:
218
Number of journal articles published:
85
Number of books published/edited:
15
The Georgia Tech Analog Consortium (GTAC) partners with semi-
conductor and electronics companies interested in advancing the
state-of-the-art in research and education in analog microelectronic
circuits. Major research areas include the design, fabrication,
testing and application of analog integrated circuits and systems. Fifteen years ago, most of the talk
about communications and data pro-
cessing centered on the promise of digi-
tal technology. Analog was the old way,
an anachronism in a digital world. You
can see that way of thinking today:
about 90 percent of electronics engi-
neers work in digital technology and
only 10 percent in analog.
In those 15 years, we have learned that
electronic devices have a lot more ana-
log content than anyone predicted.
Anything that connects with the real
world does so with an analog interface.
Digital and analog are complementary,
not exclusive. As RF radio devices
become ubiquitous in an increasing
number of applications, theres a corre-
sponding need for innovative expertise
in mixed-signal, analog and digital
design.
Thats where the Georgia Electronic
Design Center (GEDC) and the Georgia
Tech Analog Consortium (GTAC) come
in. Together, were the largest mixed-
signal design center in the U.S. Its our
core competency, and just about every-
thing we do revolves around that
mission.
Over the past several months, momen-
tum has been building for the joint
GEDC/GTAC Centers in several
important areas of mixed-signal design.
Our partnerships with federal govern-
ment agencies are gaining in scope and
number. Most recently, NASA, NSF
and DARPA have funded significant
projects with GEDC faculty. Perhaps
most significantly, were participating
in defining some of the government
initiatives, thereby helping set the
agenda for the direction of RF
mixed-signal research and develop-
ment with this large and important
constituency.
Were also becoming more effective
working with major players in RF-
related industries on large-scale, long-
term projects. This is important not
only for the work and the funding, but
because these relationships keep us
positioned at the cutting edge of design
and key technologies.
Industry benefits not only from the
research done here, but also from its
access to a talented pool of Georgia
Tech graduates with precisely the kind
of education and experience the com-
munications industry needs. Tech pro-
duces more engineers in the areas of
RF, analog and digital signal processing
than any other institution in the
country.
Innovation is another area where
GEDCs momentum is having a signifi-
cant impact. Our faculty are producing
several startup companies every year, a
fact that is already attracting notice
from the top-level venture capital firms
in the U.S.
Our prolific innovation and research
reaches within the RF and wireless
industry in other ways as well. For
example, in terms of papers published,
presentations, seminars and
workshops at major RF-related
conferences such as those
sponsored by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, GEDC faculty and
students are responsible for
fully 10 percent of the output
worldwide.
Thats momentum. And
thats one of the reasons
why we design more
advanced mixed-
signal integrated
circuits than any
other university
center in the U.S.
Just as wireless RF radio is
emerging as one of the key communi-
cations platforms of our time, GEDC
is having a significant impact as a
source of innovation, imagination and
application for these exciting new
technologies.
Best regards,
Dr. Joy Laskar
GEDC director
Joseph M. Pettit Professor of Electronics
2
2
April 2005
GEDC
Status Report
www.gedcenter.org
Executive Summary 3
GEDCs research is broadly focused on fostering technology at the intersection
of todays communications applications: wireless/ RF, wired/copper and fiber
channels. The activities of GEDC provide the state of Georgia with the opportu-
nity to grow and expand its technology leadership in the design of broadband
(high-speed) communications systems, devices and integrated circuits. 4
4
April 2005
GEDC
Status Report
www.gedcenter.org
The Georgia Electronic Design Center specifically focuses on innovative
research in mixed-signal systems which are at the boundary between telecom-
munications, microelectronics, and analog/RF. These efforts produce large,
funded partnerships with industry that attract new jobs to the state and
support smaller, start-up companies that create new jobs for Georgians.
Graduate
student Saikat
Sarkar uses
GEDC's
millimeter-
wave s-param-
eters test
system to
characterize
test structures
embedded in
3D liquid
crystal polymer
substrate. GEDC Welcomes New Members
Three federal agencies and the worlds
largest chip maker joined GEDCs
membership roster in 2004, boosting
the total number of member companies
and agencies associated with GEDC
and GTAC to 45. The government
agency affiliates are: The Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), The National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA),
and The National Science Foundation
(NSF).
The new company member is Intel,
which supplies the computing and
communications industries with chips,
boards, systems, and software building
blocks that are the ingredients of com-
puters, servers and networking and
communications products. As a GEDC
research partner, Intel will focus on fun-
damental technology issues in wireless
digital transmitters and receivers.
Siemens Contribution Supports
3G Wireless Network Development
Siemens Communications expanded its
relationship with the GEDC to support
the creation of next-generation wireless
(3G) products and applications.
Siemens is providing financial support,
which will enhance its ability to create
next-generation voice, wireless data and
IP-based multimedia subsystem (IMS)
applications for its U.S. customers.
In addition to a monetary contribution,
Siemens donated a variety of its 3G
wireless network infrastructure equip-
ment and technology to GEDC, includ-
ing Siemens IMS platforms and 3G net-
work components. The facility,
equipped with the latest 3G/UMTS
technology, will focus on developing
state-of-the-art IMS applications.
Next generation applications range
from high-speed access to the Internet
and wireless video and audio for busi-
ness customers as well as a variety of
services such as high-resolution digital
image transfer, full-motion video, loca-
tion and presence-based services, fixed
mobile convergence, voice over IP and
advanced interactive gaming.
Federal Projects Focus on
Silicon-Germanium Chips
Professor John D. Cressler of the GEDC
is the principal investigator for a pair of
new federally funded projects involv-
ing the use of chips built on silicon-ger-
manium material.
The first is a Department of Defense
program to develop single-chip, trans-
mit-receive modules to replace the
complex multi-chip modules used in
certain types of radar systems. The
work is a joint effort between the
GEDC and the Georgia Tech Research
Institute (GTRI).
The second project is sponsored by
NASA and is designed to utilize the
silicon-germanium semiconductors
ability to function effectively at the
deep cryogenic temperatures found in
space.
Students Earn Recognition
Graduate student Guizhen (Emily)
Zheng received the Best Student Paper
Award at the 2004 IEEE Topical
Meeting on Silicon Monolithic Inte-
grated Circuits in RF Systems, held at
Georgia Tech in September. She works
with Professor John Papapolymerou.
Akil Sutton, one of Professor John
Cresslers masters degree students,
was awarded the 2004 Paul L. Phelps
Award by the IEEE Nuclear and
Plasma Sciences Society. The award
provides travel grants to participate in
short courses at NPSS conferences.
5
5
April 2005
GEDC
Status Report
www.gedcenter.org
GEDC Technology Testbeds
Next Generation Wireless Testbed (3G/4G)
Optical Testbed
High Speed Wired/Wireless Testbed
Ubiquitous Wireless Network Testbed
Highlights Georgia Electronic Design Center
LEFT
:
Circuits
designed at the
Geo