Engineering Elegance

Why C++ Web Development

I generally receive a stunned look when I tell people that we build everything with C++ where possible, including web applications. It happened again recently and they will usually ask me – Why?!!! I’d like to document some reasons why we chose to use C++ to build web applications here. I shall preface by saying that we will use whatever language that the client specifies for client projects. However, for our own internal projects we prefer C++ over everything else. Read more

By Shawn, ago

JSON Naming Convention

This week, I finished connecting each module to CPU via a customizable switch. I learned the importance of flexibility in design while I was designing the naming convention for different modules and their signal’s name. Other than creating a working design, I make sure the design is elegant and simple. Also, I recorded the technique I used in Wiki on Github to ensure the next intern will understand it clearly. Next, I will be working on generating a UCF file. Read more

By [email protected], ago

Design’s Dependency

This week, I learned the importance of creating a program that is stable without relying on information from other files. This is important when it comes to designing a robust algorithm. Initially, I made a program to extract information from generated Verilog file, so that the naming of pins from Json side matches with the naming on Verilog side. But this causes the program to be unstable as the timing of generating file could be simultaneous. Therefore, I redesign the Read more

By [email protected], ago

When Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough

I continued to work on the large microphone only to find it was not working. It was weird as it has same characteristics as the small microphone and the design worked on the small microphone. I tried to change the width of the debouncer and tried a design without debouncer as well but it still did not work. Dr. Shawn pointed out if it might be a speaker, producing sounds instead of detecting sounds. Hence, I executed the buzzer design Read more

By [email protected], ago

Short Week

After a long holiday I am back in the office. This week I only work for 2 days and I only made a little progress with the bug. Right now I still working with the View file and on Friday Dr.Shawn asked me to check 3 things after I told him that I still having problem with the View file. Here the 3 things : Verify that the SQL generated by CakePHP actually retrieves the results Verify that the results Read more

By Nur Erzlin, ago

Testing the Simulator

This week, my first task is to check if the simulator simulates the c++ codes correctly. Hence, I referred to the console and looked for evidence to prove it. However, I could not find enough information about the instructions at each cycle in the console. I had to use objdump to display more information about the object code and then look the instruction numbers up. With the help of the RISC-V handbook, I was able to show that the simulator Read more

By [email protected], ago

Coding the REST API

I finally started coding out the REST API. There was not much to be noted though as it was just mainly implementing the details of what was previously drafted into code. This time I spent a bit more time to plan out the code to reduce copy-pasting code by separating them into reusable modules and also by maintaining some consistency when writing the code which led to a somewhat cleaner codebase compared to the previous application. There was also an Read more

By Jia Jen, ago

Module by Module

I carried on with the task of designing the modules in Verilog. I had chosen to work on the Infrared Transmitter and Infrared Receiver. This was quite exciting as it was my first time to work on two modules that work together. I already started designing the code for the modules but it could not be synthesized so I checked the designs again. First, I checked the transmitter design, it only required output so the design was quite straight forward Read more

By [email protected], ago

One at a time

After a few weeks looking and searching for the right way how to do the query  at last I found the answer. I have to follow the tutorial which is Multiple relation to the same model. This thing usually being used if there are cases where a Model has more than one relation with another Model which is same like my situation as I have 2 relations from the same model. This tutorial can be found in CakePHP 2.X Cookbook. Read more

By Nur Erzlin, ago

Getting started with the project

My progress is still slow this week. At first, I struggled with generating an elf binary file from a source code.  Dr Shawn reminded me to use the RISCV compiler to generate the elf file. Hence, I read some RISCV documentations and options for linking to get a better understanding of compiling using RISCV compiler. After generating an elf file, I used that to test the simulator. I tried simulating a couple of elf file but I keep getting the Read more

By [email protected], ago