Duncan Elliott, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Alberta

{Office Hours, Courses, Grad applications}

Research Interests


RF Circuits and Architectures: Innovating at the architectural level to build phase lock loops with faster acquisition times & higher speeds, new architecture for integrated phased array radar
Spacecraft Design, Satellite Systems: Open CubeSat Platform (OCP); Open source CubeSat circuit boards, firmware, designs
Electronics for communications, phased array antennae, reliable hardware & software real-time systems
Autonomous Aircraft: UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and sensors
Microfluidic-Electronic Systems: Microfluidic and integrated instrumentation for DNA analysis
Multi-valued DRAMs: Storing multiple levels (and therefore multiple bits) per DRAM cell can increase the density and lower the cost. This is an idea which has been around, but new circuit techniques show promise in canceling the effects of IC process variations.
Computational RAM:.: Computational RAM is memory with SIMD processors at the sense amps which runs GIPS around the CPU. The processing should be placed in the memory because there's 3000 times the memory bandwidth in a workstation's main memory than at the processor. I back up my claims with silicon, parallel applications and a programming language. Research topics are available in computer architecture and VLSI design.
Digital FEC Decoders: Low-power high-throughput circuits for LDPC encoding and decoding
Parallel Processing: Using massively parallel processing to solve problems in image and signal processing, VLSI CAD, optimization and data mining

Find me at:

If you have any of my email addresses, then you're set,
they all get forwarded to the same place.

+1 (780) 492-5357 office
(if I missed your call, leave a message or send me email)
+1 (780) 492-1811 fax

For most of 2020, work is done off-site.
My office is in ICE 11-281, phone
and make sure I'm in my office and not my lab
before you make the trip up
on the campus map

or as a last resort ... paper mail
Duncan Elliott
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
11th Floor Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering,
9211-116 Street NW,
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6G 1H9

street address for deliveries / couriers

Graduate student applications

Please see Graduate Programs for information about graduate applications. Feel free to note my name on the application if you have spoken to me or are interested in my research. I apologize that I am unable to reply to email requests. I'll review applications and initiate contact as necessary.

Capstone Project Ideas

I and other contributors have some suggestions for final year undergraduate capstone design course projects for
Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering &
Mech Engineering
Use your UofA CCID to authenticate.

See my office hours, below.

Office Hours

for 2021 Fall courses

Tues 13:50-14:50
Wed 17:00 TA Help Desk
Thur 13:50-14:50
Thur 17:00

In my office, lecture hall, via phone 780-492-5357

I often have my office phone 780-492-5357 forwarded to my cell phone during office hours, give it a try. I don't answer my cell phone in lectures except for emergencies of course. During an office hour, if I'm meeting with someone, I'll get your name when you call and let you know where you can find me in.

For group work, please bring all of your group members with you to the office hours, or note why this is not possible.
Other times by appointment only please. Mornings are a bad time.
Other duties may force me to cancel individual office hours with little notice. Please see me or send email to reschedule and I'll find you a meeting time.

For other terms, please phone or email for an appointment.

Courses:

ECE 710 Satellite (Spacecraft) Design
ECE 210 Introduction to Digital Logic Design
ECE 311 Computer Organization and Architecture

Courses I've taught in the past:
ECE 492 Computer Engineering Design Project
ECE 553 Digital Integrated Circuit Design (eClass is newer)

ECE 403 Integrated Circuit Design (eClass is newer)
CMPE 490 Design of Microprocessor-based Systems
CMPE 450 Nanoscale System Design Project
CMPE 382 Computer Organization and Architecture
CMPE 480 Advanced Digital Logic Design
ECE 510 Computer Systems Architecture
ECE 511 Digital ASIC Design
EE 710 Computer Architecture
EE 552 High Level Digital ASIC Design Using CAD
EE 654 SIMD Parallel Processor Architectures and Applications
EE 652 Semiconductor Memory Circuits and Architectures
EE 483 Integrated Circuit Design
EE 653 Integrated Circuit Design with Project

Interests:

Satellite design, RF circuits & architectures, radar, integrated electronics, microfluidics, application specific memory architectures, VLSI, Lab on a Chip, computer architecture, parallel processing, network routing hardware and FEC decoder circuits,
Ham radio, hiking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, rock climbing, running, photography
I am the faculty co-adviser for the University of Alberta Aerial Robotics Group (UAARG) and AlbertaSat (cube-sat, U of A cube satellite group launching Alberta's first satellite March 2017)

The weather in Edmonton