The goal of this project is provide a set of resources for getting started with an embedded system with a GPU and provide them enough background in GPU architecture and GPGPU programming to begin working immediately. The resources will also solve the issue of setting up a working environment. The demos should give a good idea of what this hardware can accomplish.
Product deliverables: a GitHub page, a Project Website, and a bootable USB/Virtual Machine. The physical components would remain with the Oregon State Robotics Club for future club members (and potentially future Senior Capstone groups), while the USB and non-physical deliverables would become a property of the Senior Design Capstone class.
Ultimately, these documents should be enough to get future students quickly started on an embedded system with GPU.
While not strictly required, it is suggested for anyone who is attempting to do a project with GPUs to have knowledge in various coding languages, such as C and C++. Alongside that, a basic knowledge of operating systems would be helpful as well. Also, be sure to review the Background Information page on this website for a full introduction to GPUs.
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are a secondary type of computer processor that helps with more specific functions than the main processor. GPUs differ from Central Processing Units (CPUs) by how they complete their tasks. While a CPU is more able to complete complex tasks, it can only complete a few of those at a time. When a multitude of actions need to be completed at once, this can cause massive slowdowns for a CPU. Then the GPU comes in to lighten the CPU’s load.
GPUs are flexible in the amount of tasks they can accomplish by providing the acceleration of work in many industries. GPUs task includes Computational Finance, Climate, Weather and Ocean Modeling, Data Science and Analytics, Deep Learning and Machine learning, Federal, Defense and Intelligence, Manufacturing/AEC: CAD and CAE, Media and Entertainment, Medical Imaging, Oil and Gas, Research: Higher Education and Supercomputing, Safety and Security, Tools and Management.