Statement of Purpose

Saurabh Malik Electrical and Computer Engineering

In a recent talk in ARM Regional Engineering Conference, it was mentioned that the current ML al-
gorithms need processing power that is around 10x the current chip performance and in the near future,
the need could be for around 100x the current performance. There are several challenges that computer
architects are currently facing. For pervasive computing to succeed, there is a need to reduce power. To
train machine-learning models using large datasets effectively, there is a need to dramatically increase per-
formance. I understand the practical aspect of these problems as a verification engineer at ARM Ltd. While
developing a testcase to target spatial prefetching feature of application processor at ARM, I studied a paper
on Linearizing Irregular Memory Accesses for Improved Correlated Prefetching by Dr. Akanksha Jain and
Dr. Calvin lin, Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at Austin. This type of prefetch-
ing contributed to performance improvement in Class A processors of ARM. The more I have learnt about
Computer Architecture, the more I have realized that how much more is left to be learnt. I firmly believe
that learning is a quest that never ends but is never without vain. To positively impact the development
of processors, I need to continue learning. It is for these reasons Im compelled to apply for Masters in
Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.

It all sparked when I was undertaking my undergraduate degree at Thapar University. I had enrolled
in the course, Digital Design which introduced me to digital circuits and the manipulation of bits to form a
system. The simplicity of the base structure and the usage of simple gates to form complex systems prodded
me to learn more about the field. I pursued this interest by enrolling in the course of Microprocessors. I was
introduced to a system level picture and decided to work and experiment in the field.

To get some hands-on experience, I interned under Scientist Dr. J.S.Rawat at Government of Indias De-
fense Research and Development Organization after the fourth semester. My project involved working on
ATmega328P microcontroller and setting up a CNT gas sensor network with TFT display. It gave me a
first-hand knowledge of working with microcontrollers and a good understanding of interfacing with periph-
erals, managing interrupts and communication protocols. Working on the project piqued my interest and
as a result, I completed the course of High-Performance Computer Architecture by Prof.Ajit Pal, Depart-
ment of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kharagpur. During this period, I mentored students in a
peer-to-peer learning platform on Microprocessors as a part of Indian Society of Technical Education. These
discussions were very imperative in amplifying my interest in this career.

In my final year, I did undergraduate thesis titled Pulse Oximeter with built in Pedometer. This project
exploited the absorption spectra of red and infrared light. The output of the analog circuit was fed into an
Arduino board, which computed the pulse and oxygen level from these numbers. The output was displayed
on the smartphone with the help of a Bluetooth enabled shield. My technical ingenuity helped me in accom-
plishing projects like automated street sense and soft error injector for stress test of error correction schemes
in digital communication systems. Working on setting up a sensor network also made me aware of the need
to use energy efficiently and ensure reliability in microprocessors, a factor that is increasingly becoming
more important. It enthralled me to delve into ARM, the worlds leading semiconductor IP provider, as an
intern in System Group. During the internship, I developed a synthesizable IP, which is now a part of ARM
designs all around the globe. I had gained experience in System-on-Chip architecture employing the use of
multiple ARM IP, and various techniques in their RTL-level design and verification. During this internship,
I developed an interest in understanding the control flow of modern processor. Impressed with my delivery
and my immense interest in processor domain, ARM offered me a full-time position in its CPU Group.

To my satisfaction, I discovered huge parallels between academic studies and practical implementations.
Within a period of just one year, I was considered competent by my senior colleagues at ARM to drive
major project threads independently. I have been awarded exceptional rating for my work at ARM. I was
sent to ARM Austin to brainstorm over RIS stimulus for processor verification with the Unit Level Designers
and Computer Architects. Presently, I am working on micro-architecture verification of a next generation
Superscalar Out of Order Processor from ARM. Additionally, I created models that mimic page table walk

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as specified by ARM ISA and gained considerable experience in wielding System Verilog and UVM con-
cepts.Having worked on multiple projects it also provides me a visibility into the various design choices and
correlates those with the Power, Performance and Area (PPA) metrics that different processors target. My
experience at ARM has undoubtedly offered me a wider comprehension of both the modern day computing
systems and the electronics industry.

Simultaneously, during my time at ARM, I had also begun exploring into Machine Learning and Artificial
Intelligence, which led me to complete Andrew Ngs comprehensive Machine Learning MOOC from Stanford
University. The driving force behind this exploration is the advantage of machine learning algorithms in
refining the stimulus of random instruction simulator to target areas with minimal coverage improving the
processor verification.

Apart from my academic and professional facets of life, I have tried to learn from the non- technical ex-
posures that I have acquired. I was the Convener of Econ Club and the Joint Convener of Indian Society
of Technical Education. I was acclaimed for my responsibilities in the club. These various exposures have
helped me hone my leadership, managerial skills and boosted my academic excellence. My overall academic
record at Thapar University places me amongst the top 5 students in a batch of 195. I cant map out my
success in this fascinating career journey without tracing the importance of group work. I still recall how it
helped me develop mental strength in generating ideas and applying theory in real-time projects. In return,
I gained team-working skills as well as building a lifelong friendship.

Through a Masters degree in University of Texas Austin, I am convinced that I would gain further ex-
posure to deepen my understanding of different aspects of computer architecture. Along with exploring
the breadth of the field of course work, I would also like to be a part of and contribute to the ongoing
research at University of Texas-Austin. I am especially interested in courses like Computing Performance
Evaluation/Benchmarking, Parallel Computer Architecture,High Speed Computer Arithmetic and Super-
scalar Microprocessor Architecture among others. Apart from the coursework, I hope to be able to work
with Dr. Yale Patt in the HPS Research Group. I am also looking forward to work with Dr. Derek Chiou
(Reconfigurable Computing) and Dr. Mattan Erez (his range of projects ranging from Reliable Computing to
Parallel Processors). Working with the distinguished faculty, excellent infrastructure and multidisciplinary
research, I feel I can put my knowledge and creativity to full use in University of Texas-Austin. I find myself
an excellent match to your graduate program and am confident it would help me to shape my future as a
motivated and strong computer architect.