Reconfigurable Embedded Digital Systems (Academic Member)

The Reconfigurable and Embedded Digital Systems (REDS) Institute at the School of Engineering and Management Vaud (HEIG-VD), Switzerland, conducts applied research and development in high-performance embedded systems. Attached to the Information and Communication Technologies Department, REDS brings together expertise covering the complete embedded-system stack, from advanced digital hardware and heterogeneous computing architectures to operating systems, low-level software and applications.

Research activities at the REDS Institute focus on the following topics:

• Hardware acceleration and high-performance digital systems, including FPGA/CPLD technologies, high-speed communication interfaces, hardware implementation of specialized algorithms, signal processing, cryptography, hardware/software co-design and data-flow optimization.

• Software management of heterogeneous hardware, combining 32/64-bit processors, DSPs, FPGAs, GPUs and specialized peripherals. Activities include application partitioning, resource management, embedded operating systems and the coexistence of multiple OSes through hardware and software virtualization.

• Complete embedded-system design, from complex high-density and high-speed electronic boards to embedded software environments, OS/RTOS integration, system-level programming, communication interfaces and user applications.

Research and development projects at REDS are carried out in close collaboration with industrial and academic partners through industrial mandates, Innosuisse projects, and national and European research programmes. The institute addresses a broad range of application areas, including energy, cybersecurity, healthcare, aerospace, advanced communications and other demanding embedded applications.

As part of HEIG-VD, REDS also contributes to engineering education, knowledge transfer and the development of new technologies for industry. Applied research activities provide students with direct exposure to state-of-the-art embedded technologies and create a strong link between teaching, research and real-world engineering challenges.