​Institute for Data Processing and Electronics proposes a wide selection of topics for Internships as well as Master and Bachelor thesis. You may select from highlighted topics with defined research program or find a custom research project among our current activities. You will find samples of such projects below. In case of questions contact Suren A. Chilingaryan ​csa@dside.dyndns.org.

Overview of available topics

• Mathematics & algorithm development in MATLAB/Octave
• GPU-based image processing with CUDA/OpenCL
• Code optimization, parallel programming, and cluster computations
• Dynamic web interfaces with HTML5 and WebGL
• Web-based data processing using WebCL
• Visualization of multidimensional time series
• Linux Device Drivers and High-speed Data Acquisition
• Control applications using LabVIEW or Tango environments
• Digital Electronics & FPGA programming
• Analog electronics and laboratory instrumentation
• User Interfaces & Usability

Open HiWi positions

GUI Development and Visualization in Python with Qt Framework

• Contact person: Timo Dritschler <​timo.dritschler@kit.edu>
• Detailed announcement
• Required Skills: Python, Visualization, Usability and design of graphical user interfaces
• Optional Skills: Qt Framework, C, Basic understanding of hardware and low-level communication
• Conditions: The position is intended as a long-term engagement with a work time of about 30-40h per month

At the Institute for Data Processing and Electronics we develop a high speed readout system for advanced cryogenic sensors involved in the diagnostic instruments used to study and research beam characteristics of the ANKA Synchrotron at KIT. To aid the Scientists in setting up and using the wideband readout system, a Graphical User Interface was written in Python, using the Qt Framework, that provides means to configure the readout hardware, record and visualize output data. We are currently looking for a HiWi? to support us in maintaining and further developing the GUI and optionally improving the data acquisition workflow by writing appropriate Python bindings for the underlying communication library that interfaces with the hardware.

The student will be integrated in the ANKA- TeraHertz? and in the electronic groups. She/He? is expected to contribute to the current development of the applied software, maintaining and further developing the Graphical User Interface for the readout system.

Administration of the high-performance GPU cluster at IPE

• Contact person: Suren A. Chilingaryan <​csa@suren.me>
• Detailed announcement
• Required Skills: Very good knowledge of Linux and the ability to find

and solve system problems; scripting languages.

• Conditions: The position is intended as a long-term engagement with a work time of about 30h per month

To support the development of parallel algorithms, a heterogeneous cluster is operated by IPE. Several generations of parallel accelerators from different HPC vendors are available to the scientists. Due to the heavily heterogeneous configuration and rapid changes of the parallel programming SDKs, the administration of the system is complicated and time consuming.

The student will take care for the administration of the cluster hardware and software. The task includes:

• System maintenance and upgrades
• Installation of additional hardware nodes and components
• Configuration of Infiniband and MPI communication stacks
• Maintenance of parallel SDKs from AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA
• Administration of Nagios configuration and scripts
• Problem diagnostics for software and hardware

Highlighted topics for Internship

Highlighted Master topics

Web-based monitoring of large-scale data in scientific experiments

• Contact person: Suren A. Chilingaryan ​csa@dside.dyndns.org
• Detailed announcement
• Required Skills: JavaScript? & PHP; knowledge of OpenGL/WebGL is a plus
• Experience Gained: WebCL/WebGL, Data management in high energy physics experiments, Visualization of scientific data

Huge quantities of information are produced by scientific experiments world wide. Data formats, underlying storage engines, and sampling rates are varying significantly. At the Institute for Data Processing and Electronics we develop a web-based visualization framework which handles multiple types of slow-control data and helps engineers and scientists to inspect device operation and examine the integrity and validity of the measurements. The framework is used in a wide area of applications ranging from fusions experiments, astroparticle physics, to meteorological systems. State-of-the-art web browsers support a rich set of features to construct sophisticated interfaces using web technologies only. With introduction of WebGL it become possible to perform 3D visualization as well. The student is expected to design and implement a new module for real-time monitoring. The main challenge is to visualize multi-dimensional data sets and arrays of sensors mapped to the 3D models. One example is shown in the image below where an array of temperature sensors was mapped to the model of KATRIN tank to visualize the temperature distribution.

Optimizing imaging algorithms to the latest parallel CPU and GPU architectures

• Contact person: Suren A. Chilingaryan ​csa@dside.dyndns.org
• Detailed announcement
• Required Skills: Good knowledge of C programming language, knowledge of OpenCL or/and CUDA is a plus
• Experience Gained: Parallel programming, GPU programming, Image processing

Parallel computing has become increasingly important in the last several years. The standard servers include nowadays up to 64 computing cores. Modern GPUs are able to execute thousands of floating point operations in parallel and have become a valuable tool in multiple scientific field that require high computational throughput. It becomes more and more important to parallelize existing image processing algorithms and tune the implementations to the recent hardware architectures. It is crucial to take into the consideration the details of hardware architectures. The computational units may employ different types of cache hierarchies to accelerate memory access, the new processors often introduce new sets of instructions accelerating specific operations. The student will select an algorithm from one of the ongoing projects and perform optimization and tuning for the used hardware. Available options include differential phase contrast imaging done in cooperation with ANKA synchrotron, digital image correlation and tracking done in collaboration with University of Pennsylvania, X-Ray CT done in collaboration with Helmholtz Center in Dresden-Rosendorf.

Sample Topics for Bachelor/Master students

Parallel Computing

• Regularization methods for iterative tomographic reconstruction at synchrotron light sources
• Motion compensation for 4D tomography at synchrotron light sources
• Acceleration of 3D Image Correlation and Tracking Algorithm with GPUs

High-speed Data Acquisition

• User-space PCIe drivers for Linux using ​VFIO
• Real-time handling of images from high-throughput streaming camera with GPUDirect and Infiniband-based clusters
• Real-time compression and decompression of imaging data with GPUs

Web Technologies

• Web Interface for Visualization and Management of Meteorological Data
• Real Time Visualization of Time Series Data with HTML5
• Gestures-based control interface for data management on mobile multi-touch devices