Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students at UofT
Instructions
The projects listed in the page are potential topics for ECE/EngSci thesis, part-time research assistant, and summer interns. (updated 02/2023)If you are interested in applying for these positions listed below, please email the following materials to Prof. Xilin Liu at xilinliu at ece dot utoronto dot ca:
1. A cover letter stating the project(s) that you are interested in and the relevant experience and qualification (for the required knowledge background and skillsets)
2. Latest CV
3. (Unofficial) transcripts of undergraduate and master’s studies
Project #1: Analog and Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuits Design
Integrated circuit (IC) technology is the core of modem electronics. Our team develops high-performance, energy-efficient analog and mixed-signal IC blocks for wireless and wireline communication, as well as high-precision instrumentation. We are looking for research assistants to work on our team to develop IC blocks, such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), clock generation circuits, and power management circuits.During the research, students will join the IC development phases, such as modeling, design, simulation, layout, or testing, depending on the status of the ongoing projects. Modeling will be performed using Matlab/Simulink, and the IC design and stimulation will be done through Cadence Virtuoso. We use CMOS processes including GlobalFoundries 22nm and TSMC 65nm technology. Students with experience in using Cadence for simulation are especially encouraged to apply.
Requirements:
- Knowledge in analog electronics (ECE331, ECE430, ECE412, or equivalent)
- Experience in using Cadence for IC design and simulation
- Experience in using Matlab
Project #2: Design of an Open-Source Microelectrode Array for Neural Interfacing
Reading materials: OpenMEAMore details to be added.
Requirements:
Experience in FPGA and Verilog is required
Experience in PCB design and system integration is required
Project #3: Design of a High-Speed Digital Neural Interface using FPGA
Large-scale neural recording revolutionizes our understanding of the nervous system and provides unprecedented tools for diagnosing and treating neurological diseases. Miniature neural recording headstage provides an opportunity to record neural activities from invasive electrodes implanted in animal models. In this project, we will develop Verilog codes for using FPGA to interface with a commercial neural interface chip, RHS2116, from Intan Technologies. We will be reading neural signals from 16 channels with over 20KSps per channel and transferring the data to a host computer. A graphic user interface will be developed on a computer for displaying the recorded data in real-time (like an oscilloscope for the brains).
More reading:Electronic Neural Interface
https://www.eecg.utoronto.ca/~xilinliu/pdfs/2020_Electronic%20neural%20interfaces.pdf
About the commercial neural recording chip
https://intantech.com/
Example codes are available here:
https://intantech.com/files/RHD2000InterfaceXEM6310_release_180202.zip
Requirements:
Experience in FPGA and Verilog is required
Experience in developing PC graphic interface is helpful
FPGA Platforms:
ZedBoard using Xilinx Zynq®-7000 All Programmable SoC
https://www.avnet.com/wps/portal/us/products/avnet-boards/avnet-board-families/zedboard/
XEM7310 using Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA
https://opalkelly.com/products/xem7310/
Project #4: Design of a Neural Stimulator with a High Compliance Voltage
Neural stimulator is a type of medical device that can be used for modulating neural activities and treating neurological disorders. Non-invasive neural stimulators are also used for neurorehabilitation after traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. The most commonly used type of electronic neural stimulator employs current-mode drivers. Current-mode stimulation can achieve high electronic charge precision independent of the load impedance, resulting in minimal tissue damage due to residual charges. In this project, we aim to develop a current-mode stimulator that supports a compliance voltage of +/-20V with programmable current amplitude, pulse width, and frequency. The current-mode stimulator driver will be built using off-the-shelf high voltage operational amplifiers. A Howland current source architecture will be used. A microcontroller (nRF5340) will be used for controlling the stimulator.
More reading:Electronic Neural Interface
https://www.eecg.utoronto.ca/~xilinliu/pdfs/2020_Electronic%20neural%20interfaces.pdf
Design of Efficient and Safe Neural Stimulators
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-28131-5.pdf
More reading about Howland Current source
https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/snoa474
Requirements:
Experience in advanced real-time embedded system (e.g., Arm Cortex-M33) programming is required
Experience in electronic circuits design using integrated circuits chips is required
MCU Platforms:
nRF5340 DK using Arm® Cortex®-M33 processors
https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-hardware/nRF5340-DK
Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense using nRF52840 ARM® Cortex™-M4 CPU
https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-nano-33-ble-sense
Project #5: Design of an Ultra-Wideband Wireless Transceiver Module
Recording brain signals from a large number of channels requires a high-speed wireless data link. Unfortunately, conventional wireless transceivers are either too slow (such as Bluetooth or Zigbee) or too power-hungry (such as Wifi). In this project, we aim to develop a low-power wireless module to achieve high-speed data transmission. We will be using a commercial Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Impulse Radio Transceiver Module, such as the SR1020 from Spark Microsystems (around 6GHz ~ 9.3GHz). https://www.sparkmicro.com/products/. By the end of this project, we aim to have a custom PCB that integrates the UWB chip with a SPI interface to an MCU.
More reading:A Gentle Introduction to Ultra-wide Band (UWB) Radio Technology
https://www.suncam.com/miva/downloads/docs/094.pdf
Requirements:
Experience in radio-frequency circuit design and simulation are required
Experience in mmWave testing is helpful
Experience in MCU programming is helpful
Statement on Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI):
Evidence clearly shows that increasing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research environments enhances excellence, innovation and creativity. I am committed to promote EDI in my research team and student training environment. I strongly encourage people with diverse backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups, to join my team.Back to other research opportunites.
More to be added
Updated on 02/26/2023
