Prof Marcian Cirstea

Marcian Cirstea For media enquiries please contact the Press Team

Professor, Head of the School of Computing and Information Science

Faculty:Faculty of Science and Engineering

School:Computing and Information Science

Location: Cambridge

Areas of Expertise: Computing and technology

Research Supervision:Yes

Marcian is an active professional in digital systems, focusing on artificial intelligence and the use of computer aided design tools and methods applied to digital systems modelling and rapid prototyping using VHDL and FPGAs.

marcian.cirstea@aru.ac.uk

Background

Marcian’s research is focused on digital controllers. With 30 years of academic experience, he has published one research monograph, one text book and more than 150 peer-reviewed papers (three with awards). He has delivered seven international tutorials on Digital Systems Design Methodologies using VHDL and FPGAs, coordinated a European FP6 control of renewable integrated systems project consortium, supervised 13 research degrees to completion and examined 19.

General Chair of 8 IEEE international conferences and track chair/ tutorials chair/ special sessions chair for many others, Marcian is also Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics.

Research interests

  • Artificial Intelligence applied to the Internet of Things, making use of Hardware Description Languages and FPGAs
  • Intelligent systems - software engineering approach to hardware systems design

Marcian is a member of our Computing, Informatics and Applications research group.

Areas of research supervision

  • Digital controllers based on Artificial Intelligence
  • Design of FPGA-based intelligent systems

Find out more about our Computing and Information Science PhD.

Teaching

Modules taught: Digital Systems and Power Conversion Systems

Qualifications

  • PhD Electronic/Electrical Engineering, Nottingham Trent University, UK
  • PGCE Learning & Teaching, De Montfort University, UK
  • MEng Electrical Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania

Memberships, editorial boards

  • Chartered Engineer, Engineering Council UK (CEng)
  • European Engineer of the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (EurIng)
  • Fellow, the Institution of Engineering & Technology (FIET)
  • Senior Member, the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (SMIEEE)
  • Doctor Honoris Causa title awarded by Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania (2016)
  • Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics/Informatics
  • Member of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Administrative Committee (AdCom)
  • Member of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Finance Committee
  • Member of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Membership Activities Committee
  • Past (2013-2016) IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Vice-President for Membership Activities
  • Referee (by invitation) in Assessment Panel in the Aalto University Research Art and Impact Assessment, RAI 2018, Helsinki,Finland, 26-31 August 2018.

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Consultancy
  • Introductory training courses on VHDL digital circuit design
  • FPGAs used in digital control of power electronic systems
  • Low Carbon Knowledge Transfer programme with LMK Thermosafe; contribution as support academic, Intelligent Temperature sensors, 2014 -2015, £64K.
  • Low Carbon Knowledge Transfer programmes with Calex Electronics Ltd.: – contribution as support academic, High Temperature sensors (2011-2012 and 2014-15), £36K+£63K. The newly developed infrared temperature sensoris capable of accurately measuring small infrared signals remotely at an ambient temperature over 180oC without additional cooling.
  • Delivering Training Courses to Industry:Introduction to VHDL Design – to Datalink Ltd. (2003), Transmitton Ltd. (2003), Audio Processing Technology Ltd. (2005), range of companies in Cambridge (course delivered at Anglia Ruskin University, 2010): Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) Ltd, Plastic Logic Ltd, Bertrandt Ltd, Displaylink Ltd, Exquisite IT Ltd, ADI Ltd.
  • Framework 6 European Commission Programme: Control of Renewable Integrated Systems Targeting Advanced Landmarks (CRISTAL) – Coordination Action, including 11 institutions from 7 EU countries, Euro 130 K. Proposalauthor and Consortium Coordinator. Dec.’07 – Dec.’09.
  • Low Carbon Knowledge Transfer programme with Cambridge Recycling Services, ending March 2008, £26K. Modelling and Design of a Labview based electronic control system for the company’s modern recycling plant.
  • Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Transmitton Ltd. (Siemens), Ashby-de-la Zouch: Redesign fastflex range of products using hardware description languages (HDLs) and FPGA implementation.Value: £ 105 K, Oct.’03-Oct.’05.

Selected recent publications

Hazzaa, F.,Shabut, A.M., Ali, N.H.M., Cirstea, M., 2021. Security Scheme Enhancement for Voice over Wireless Networks. Journal of Information Security and Applications, 58 (2021), DOI: 10.1016/j.jisa.2021.102798.

Monmasson, E., Hilairet, M., Spagnuolo, G., Cirstea, M.N., 2021. System-on-Chip FPGA Devices for Complex Electrical Energy Systems Control. IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, 19 Feb. 2021. DOI: 10.1109/MIE.2021.3052179. 

Neacsu, D.O., Cirstea, M.N., Butnicu, D., 2021. Comparative Reliability Analysis for Resonant Converter Operation under Component Ageing. IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Industrial Electronics, vol.2, issue 2, pp. 142-154, April 2021. print ISSN: 2687-9735, online ISSN: 2687-9743. DOI: 10.1109/JESTIE.2020.3044515.  

Balan, A., Balan, T., Cirstea, M., Sandu, F., 2020. A PUF-based cryptographic security solution for IoT systems on chip. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking (EURASIP JWCN), Springer, 4 Nov. 2020, 231 (2020), USA. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13638-020-01839-6  

Gherman, T., Petreus, D., Cirstea, M. N., 2020. A Real Time Simulator of a Phase Shifted Converter for High Frequency Applications. Advances in Electrical and Computer Engineering,  vol. 20, issue 3, pp. 11 - 22, August 2020. ISSN: 1582-7445, e-ISSN: 1844-7600, doi: 10.4316/AECE.2020.03002.

Petreus, D., Patarau, T., Etz, R and Cirstea, M.N., 2018. An islanded microgrid energy management controller validated by using Hardware-In-the-Loop Emulators. International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, Elsevier, Vol. 106, March 2019, Pages 346-357, DOI: org/10.1016/j.ijepes.2018.10.020.

Stanciu, A., Cirstea, M.N. and Moldoveanu, F., 2016. Analysis and Evaluation of PUF-based SoC Designs for Security Applications. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 63(9), DOI: 10.1109/TIE.2016.2570720.

Folea, S., Mois, G., Muresan, C., Miclea, L., De Keyser, R. and Cirstea, M.N., 2016. A Portable Implementation on Industrial Devices of a Predictive Controller using Graphical Programming. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 12(2), DOI: 10.1109/TII.2016.2532118.

Monmasson, E. and Cirstea, M.N., 2013. Industrial Control Applications of FPGAs. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 9(3), editorial review, DOI: 10.1109/TII.2013.2270011.

Sutikno, T, Nik Idris, N. R., Jidin, A. and Cirstea, M.N., 2013. An improved FPGA Implementation of Direct Torque Control for Induction Machines. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 9(3), DOI: 10.1109/TII.2012.2222420.

Tisan, A. and Cirstea, M.N., 2012. SOM Neural Network Design - a New Simulink Library Based Approach Targeting FPGA Implementation. Journal of Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, ISSN: 0378-4754.

Alecsa, B., Cirstea, M.N. and Onea, A., 2012. Simulink Modeling and Design of an Efficient Hardware-constrained FPGA-based PMSM Speed Controller. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 8(3), DOI: 10.1109/TII.2012.2193891.

Monmasson, E., Cirstea, M.N., 2007. FPGA Design Methodology for Industrial Control Systems – a Review. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, Special Issue on FPGAs used in Industrial control Systems, vol. 54, no. 4, August 2007, pp. 1824-1842, ISSN 0278-0046. DOI: 10.1109/TIE.2007.898281.

Cirstea, M.N., Dinu, A., Khor, J., McCormick, M. 2002. Neural and Fuzzy Logic Control of Drives and Power Systems. Elsevier Science, Oxford, 2002, ISBN 0750655585. 

Recent presentations and conferences

Tutorial (3 hours) presented and video recorded, M. Cirstea together with Prof. Eric Monmasson (CY Cergy Paris University): “Modelling and Design of Digital Electronic Systems (targeting FPGAs) – Methods, Trends and Application to the Control of Electrical Systems', Annual International Conference of IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, IECON 2019, Lisbon, Portugal, 14 October 2019. Open access for IEEE members (240,000 members worldwide) at: https://resourcecenter.ies.ieee.org/conferences/iecon-2019/IESIECON2019VID0080.html

Hazzaa, F., Yousef, S., Sanchez, E., Cirstea, M.N., 2018. Lightweight and Low-Energy Encryption Scheme for Voice over Wireless Devices. IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics (IECON 2018), Washington, USA, Oct. 2018, pp.2992-2997.

S. Sadeghi-Esfahlani, S., Cirstea, S., Sanaei, A., Cirstea, M.N., 2018. Mixed Reality and Fire Detection Algorithm. IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics (IECON 2018), Washington, USA, Oct. 2018, pp.2757-2762.

Darvill, J., Tisan, A., Cirstea, M.N., 2017. A Novel ANFIS Architecture for FPGA Implementation. IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics (ISIE 2017), Edinburgh, UK, 19-21 June 2017, pp.1244-1248. DOI: 10.1109/ISIE.2017.8001423

Lelutiu, L.M., Lungoci, C.M., Calin, M.D., Cirstea, M.N., 2017. A Power Efficient Mobile Solar Tracking System. Proceedings of IEEE Joint International Conference OPTIM-ACEMP 2017, Brasov, Romania, 25-27 May 2017, pp.561-566. DOI: 10.1109/OPTIM.2017.7975028

Cirstea, M.N., 2016. Modelling and Design of Digital Electronic Systems. Proceedings of IEEE International conference on Development and Application Systems, University of Suceava, Romania, 19-21 May 2016, pp.189-194. Plenary/keynote presentation.

Cirstea, M.N., 2015. Modern Methodologies for Digital Systems Modelling and Design. Presented at Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China, 9 April 2015.

O’Reilly, J., Cirstea, S., Cirstea, M., Zhang, J. 2019. A Novel Development of Acoustic SLAM. Proc. of IEEE Joint Int. Conference ACEMP-OPTIM, Istanbul, Turkey, 26-29 August 2019. 10.1109/ACEMP-OPTIM44294.2019.9007217.