A student team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University Global College (SJTUGC, abbreviated as GC) has won third place in the Embedded System Software Design Contest (ESSC) at the 2025 International Embedded Systems Week (ESWEEK 2025) with their open-source simulation tool RTHeter. The award-winning project was developed by graduate students Yinchen Ni, Jiace Zhu, and Xingzhe Cai, all from the research group of GC Associate Professor An Zou.
ESWEEK is one of the world’s premier academic events in the field of embedded systems. Its software design contest aims to recognize and showcase innovative achievements in software tool development for embedded systems.
With the rapid growth of AI applications, complex heterogeneous computing architectures have become essential for handling massive computational demands. However, increasing system complexity also brings major challenges for meeting real-time requirements. In response, the team developed RTHeter — a Real-Time Scheduling Simulation Platform for Heterogeneous Architectures. This comprehensive, layered simulation framework supports real-time scheduling and evaluation of various complex task models on flexible, configurable heterogeneous systems. It helps significantly reduce system design and evaluation costs and facilitates exploration of new scheduling strategies and architecture optimizations.
Yinchen Ni makes online presentation of the project.
Xingzhe Cai (first from left) receives the award certificate.
Student Introduction
Yinchen Ni,
Master’s student enrolled in 2024, Computer Science and Technology
Research interests focus on real-time computing and scheduling for heterogeneous platforms; publications in Transactions on Computers, Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium, and Design, Automation and Test in Europe Conference .
Jiace Zhu
Ph.D. student enrolled in 2024, Electronic Science and Technology
Research interests focus on efficient inference and system optimization for large language models; research published in flagship conferences such as DATE.
Xingzhe Cai
Master’s student enrolled in 2025, Computer Science and Technology
From Malaysia, research interests focus on system optimization for large language models; previously worked as a chip product engineer at Intel.
Advisor Introduction
An Zou
Associate Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor, IEEE Senior Member
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Research interests focus on computer architecture, embedded systems, AI hardware acceleration, and low-power design. His research group has achieved a series of innovations in real-time scheduling for heterogeneous computing platforms, lightweight AI algorithm design, and microsecond-level processor power management. Related research has been published in leading journals and conferences such as IEEE Transactions on Computers, IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, DAC, and RTSS.
