Computer Engineering
Overview
Computer engineering research at UCSB spans a wide spectrum of topics, from devices and integrated circuits to software systems and applications. Computer architecture, which is central to the efforts aimed at improving the performance, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency of computing systems, is a key focal point.
The computer engineering faculty at UCSB conduct collaborative, multidisciplinary projects that allow students and other participants to engage in practically motivated, state-of-the-art research problems. There is an intense focus on industrial relevance and on the impact of emerging technologies on the direction of our field.
Additional Information about the Computer Engineering Program and its affiliated faculty can be found at the Computer Engineering Program website.
For more detailed descriptions of faculty research and activities, please follow the links to the various research centers, labs, and groups indicated on this page.
Computer Engineering Research Activities
Computer Engineering research areas include but are not limited to:
- Bioinspired computing
- Circuit and System Design
- Computer Architecture
- Artificial Intelligence for Design and Test
- Emerging Technologies for Computing
- Cloud Computing
- Nanotechnology
- Neuromorphic Computing
- System Verification
- Software and Computer Languages
CE Faculty Groups & Labs
Affiliated Research Units
COE News – Zhang given NSF CAREER award
ECE Ass't. Prof. Zheng Zhang wants to make the manufacturing of semiconductor chips more reliable
Through uncertainty-aware design automation, Zhang and his students hope to make semiconductor manufacturing more efficient and the products more consistent. Uncertainty awareness means Zhang wants to expect the unexpected and adjust ahead of time.
“I’m very excited,” said Zhang, whose research lies at the intersection of computational mathematics, electrical engineering, and computer science. “With this award, I will be able to investigate some long-standing problems with a relatively long-term plan to discover solutions.”
The awards give funding to pursue cutting-edge research and advance excellence in education through the NSF Faculty Early Career Development program.
COE News – "Two ECE Professors receive NSF Early CAREER Awards" (full article)
Faculty Lab Spotlight
High Level Systems Design Lab
Professor Forrest Brewer
The High Level Systems Design lab builds circuits. Our lab encompasses the stages of electronic design from the development of tools for exploring what to build to the layout of transistors for the fabrication of prototype chips. Once an integrated circuit is fabricated we test the final design to verify its construction and incorporate the results into our body of knowledge used to built the future chips.
Research areas include:
- Radiation Hardened Electronics
- Asynchronous Architectures & CAD Tools
- Mixed Signal Circuit/System Design
- Bitstream Control & Signal Processing
