Abstract Evolutionary approaches have been used in a large variety of design domains, from aircraft engineering to the designs of analog filters. Many of these approaches use measures to improve the variety of solutions in the population. One such measure is clustering. In this paper, clustering and Pareto optimisation are combined into a single evolutionary design algorithm. The population is split into a number of clusters, and parent and offspring selection, as well as fitness calculation, are performed on a per-cluster basis. The objective of this is to prevent the system from converging prematurely to a local minimum and to encourage a number of different designs that fulfil the design criteria. Our approach is demonstrated in the domain of digital filter design. Using a polar coordinate based pole-zero representation, two different lowpass filter design problems are explored. The results are compared to designs created by a human expert. They demonstrate that the evolutionary process is able to create designs that are competitive with those created using a conventional design process by a human expert. They also demonstrate that each evolutionary run can produce a number of different designs with similar fitness values, but very different characteristics. 1

. Evolvable hardware (EHW) is a new technology, which was discovered at intersection of artificial intelligence and the circuit design. Unique hardware architecture is searched for each task. The circuit connection is subject of evolution and the function of such circuit can adapt to dynamic changing environment. Genetic algorithm is used to simulate evolution -- its chromosomes encode potential solutions (configuration bits of used reconfigurable chip). Simply, we can speak about hardware evolution. A concept for modelling of EHW and EHW-based applications is explained. Models of reconfigurable circuit and evolution are used in the application -- lossy image compression -- where EHW works as non-linear predictor for block of data. The new approach to compression quality control is described too. The results are compared with JPEG algorithm. Key words: genetic algorithm, evolvable hardware, image compression, modelling, prediction, reconfigurable circuit. Introduction: Evolvable hard...

Abstract. Evolvable Hardware (EHW) is a scheme- inspired by natural evolution, for automatic design of hardware systems. By exploring a large design search space, EHW may find solutions for a task, unsolvable, or more optimal than those found using traditional design methods. During evolution it is necessary to evaluate a large number of different circuits which is normally most efficiently undertaken in reconfigurable hardware. For digital design, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) are very applicable. Thus, this technology is applied in much of the work with evolvable hardware. The paper introduces EHW and outlines how it can be applied for hardware design of real-world applications. It continues by discussing the main problems and possible solutions. This includes improving the scalability of evolved systems. Promising features of EHW will be addressed as well, including run-time adaptable systems. 1

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: Evolvable hardware is a new technology, where circuit connection is subject to evolution. The model of the evolvable circuit is used in the task of image compression. This work is done with evolvable hardware at functional level. Possible hardware implementations are discussed and a new concept of constrained evolution --- pseudo evolvable hardware --- is open. This paper describes the implementation principle of a virtual evolvable machine on top of a normal FPGA. In this way, the current FPGAs can implement evolvable circuit. Copyright c fl2000 IFAC Keywords: configuration, genetic algorithms, digital circuits, self-optimizing systems, system concepts. 1. INTRODUCTION Let us discuss this task: some circuit, implementing the function of m inputs and n outputs, is needed. Desired function is unknown at the time of design and additionally it can change in order to adapt to the environment changes during the circuit execution. It means, that a real-time modifying hardware arc...