UCSB Engineering

K.T. Tim Cheng

Professor

Contacts

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106

tel: (805) 893-7294
fax: (805) 893-3262
timcheng@ece.ucsb.edu

Personal web site

Research Description

Prof. Cheng manages two research labs: SoC Design and Test Lab and Learning-based Multimedia Lab.

SoC Design and Test Lab focuses on developing methodologies, algorithms, techniques, and tools for validating, verifying, testing, and analyzing system-on-chip (SoC) and 3D devices. We are currently exploring in the following research directions:

A. Scalable and low-cost post-silicon validation;
B. Hierarchical, signature-driven test and validation for analog and RF circuits; and
C. Design and test of robust flexible electronics.

The Learning-Based Multimedia (LBMM) Group has wide interests in various algorithms and techniques for multimedia applications. Our current focus is Mobile Computer Vision:

The main challenges for achieving the required real-time performance of vision tasks in a mobile, embedded environment are: (1) the sequential algorithms cannot be easily extended for parallel execution to benefit from the emerging multi- and many-core platforms; (2) most algorithms have no adaptability with respect to the serious limitations on computation, power, and reliability constraints; and (3) the handheld platforms’ architectures do not have enough computing capability for most vision tasks. We are addressing these challenges in a holistic way, by injecting concurrency and adaptability of vision algorithms, by investigating the resilience and reliability of the entire embedded vision system, by designing a new energy efficient parallel architecture for such tasks, and by creating and distributing a parallel programming framework with wide range of image and video content analyses that can be readily adapted to server, PC, and handhelds to serve as a foundation for innovative applications to leverage new computer vision capabilities.

Research Groups

• SoC Design and Test Lab
• Learning-Based Multimedia Group

Biography

He worked at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, NJ, from 1988 to 1993 and joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1993 where he is currently Professor of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. He was the founding director of UCSB's Computer Engineering program (1999-2002) and Chair of the ECE Department (2005-2008). His current research interests include design validation, verification, testing and multimedia computing. He has published over 300 technical papers, co-authored five books and holds 11 U.S. Patents in these areas. He has also been working closely with US industry and government agencies for projects in these areas. Cheng, a fellow of IEEE, received Best Paper Awards at the 1994 and 1999 Design Automation Conferences, 2003 Conference of Design Automation and Test in Europe (DATE), 2007 IEEE Asian Test Symposium, 2008 IEEE VLSI Test Symposium, and 1987 AT&T Conference on Electronic Testing. He also received 2001 Annual Best Paper Award in Journal of Information Science and Engineering and the UCSB College of Engineering's Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award for 2004-2005. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief for IEEE Design and Test of Computers, Editor of IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, Associate Editor for ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems, Associate Editor for Formal Methods in System Design, Editor for Journal of Electronic Testing: Theory and Applications, and Editor for Foundations and Trends in Electronic Design Automation. He has served as general and program chair for numerous international conferences on design, and design automation and testing.

Awards/Honors

• The Best Paper Award, IEEE VLSI Test Symposium, 2008
• The Best Paper Award, IEEE Asian Test Symposium, 2007
• UCSB College of Engineering's Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award, 2004-2005
• The Best Paper Award, Conference of Design Automation and Test in Europe, 2003
• Annual Best Paper Award in Journal of Information Science and Engineering, 2001
• Fellow, IEEE, 2000
• Best Paper Awards, Design Automation Conference, 1999
• Best Paper Awards, Design Automation Conference, 1994
• Best Paper award, AT&T Conference on Electronic Testing, 1987

Selected Publications