Recently an effective usage of the chip area plays an essential role for System-on-Chip (SOC) designs. Nowadays on-chip memories take up more than 50%of the total die-area and are responsible for more than 40% of the total energy consumption. Cache memory alone occupies 30% of the on-chip area in the latest microprocessors. This thesis project “System Level Exploration of RRAM for SRAM Replacement” describes a Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) based memory organizationfor the Coarse Grained Reconfigurable Array (CGRA) processors. Thebenefit of the RRAM based memory organization, compared to the conventional Static-Random Access Memory (SRAM) based memory organization, is higher interms of energy and area requirement. Due to the ever-growing problems faced by conventional memories with Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS), emerging memory technologies gained more importance. RRAM is typically seen as a possible candidate to replace Non-volatilememory (NVM) as Flash approaches its scaling limits. The replacement of SRAMin the lowest layers of the memory hierarchies in embedded systems with RRAMis very attractive research topic; RRAM technology offers reduced energy and arearequirements, but it has limitations with regards to endurance and write latency. By reason of the technological limitations and restrictions to solve RRAM write related issues, it becomes beneficial to explore memory access schemes that tolerate the longer write times. Therefore, since RRAM write time cannot be reduced realistically speaking we have to derive instruction memory and data memory access schemes that tolerate the longer write times. We present an instruction memory access scheme to compromise with these problems. In addition to modified instruction memory architecture, we investigate the effect of the longer write times to the data memory. Experimental results provided show that the proposed architectural modifications can reduce read energy consumption by a significant frame without any performance penalty.

At Saab Aerospace in Linköping, components for measurement systems to the fighter aircraft JAS 39 Gripen are developed. In this activity you sometimes want to record the traffic transmitted on the data busses that connects different sys-tems. This traffic on the data busses is using the military standard MIL-STD-1553. This project has aimed to create a system for recording and sending 1553-data. The system is used on an ordinary personal computer, equipped with a recon- figurable I/O card that among others has a programmable logic circuit (FPGA). The recorded data are stored on a hard drive. The system has a graphical user interface, where the user can configure different methods of filtering the data, and other preferences. The completed system has currently the capacity to record one channel. This works excellent and the system basically meets all the requirements stated at the start of the project. By using this system instead of the commercial available systems on the market one will get a competitive alternative. If the system where to be developed further, with more channels, it would get even more price worth. Both in case of price per channel, but also in functionality. This is because it is possible to design exactly the functions the user demands. But the current version is already fully functional and competitive compared to commercial systems.

Embedded memories dominate area, power and cost of modern very large scale integrated circuits system on chips ( VLSI SoCs). Furthermore, due to process variations, it becomes challenging to design reliable energy efficient systems. Therefore, fault-tolerant designs will be area efficient, cost effective and have low power consumption. The idea of this project is to design embedded memories where reliability is intentionally compromised to increase storage density. Gain cell memories are smaller than SRAM and unlike DRAM they are logic compatible. In multilevel DRAM storage density is increased by storing two bits per cell without reducing feature size. This thesis targets multilevel read and write schemes that provide short access time, small area overhead and are highly reliable. First, timing analysis of reference design is performed for read and write operation. An analytical model of write bit line (WBL) is developed to have an estimate of write delay. Replica technique is designed to generate the delay and track variations of storage array. Design of replica technique is accomplished by designing replica column, read and write control circuits. A memory controller is designed to control the read and write operation in multilevel DRAM. A multilevel DRAM is with storage capacity of eight kilobits is designed in UMC 90 nm technology. Simulations are performed for testing and results are reported for energy and access time. Monte Carlo analysis is done for variation tolerance of replica technique. Finally, multilevel DRAM with replica technique is compared with reference design to check the improvement in access times.

This thesis presents a five-transistor SRAM intended for the advanced microprocessor cache market. The goal is to reduce the area of the cache memory array while maintaining competitive performance. Various existing technologies are briefly discussed with their strengths and weaknesses. The design metrics for the five-transistor cell are discussed in detail and performance and stability are evaluated. Finally a comparison is done between a 128Kb memory of an existing six-transistor technology and the proposed technology. The comparisons include area, performance and stability of the memories. It is shown that the area of the memory array can be reduced by 23% while maintaining comparable performance. The new cell also has 43% lower total leakage current. As a trade-off for these advantages some of the stability margin is lost but the cell is still stable in all process corners. The performance and stability has been validated through post-layout simulations using Cadence Spectre.

In this work, an existing generator for layout of Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) is improved. The tool is completed with a block decoder, which was missing when the thesis started. A feature of generating schematic files is also added. The schematics are important to get a better overview, to test parts properly, and enable Layout versus Schematics (LVS) checks. The main focus of this thesis work is to implement and evaluate a new SRAM cell, called Zero Aware Asymmetric SRAM cell. This cell saves major power when zeros are stored. Furthermore the pull-up circuit is modified to be less power consuming. Other parts are also modified to fit the new memory cell. Several minor flaws are corrected in the layout generator. It does still not produce a complete memory without manual interventions, but it does at least create all parts with one command. Several tests, including Design Rule Checks (DRC) and LVS checks, are carried out both on minor and larger parts. Development of documentation that makes it easier for users and developers to use and understand the tool is initiated.

In this work, an existing RAM generator is analysed and evaluated. Some of the aspects that were considered in the evaluation are the optimization of the basic SRAM cell, how the RAM generator can be ported to newer technologys, automating the simulation process and the creation of the workflow for the energy model. One of the main focus of this thesis work is to optimize the basic SRAM cell. The SRAM cell which is used in the RAM generator is not optimized for area nor power. A compact layout is suggested which saves a lot of area and power. The technology that is used to create the RAM generator is old and a suitable way to port it to newer technology has also been found. To create an energy model one has to simulate a lot of memories with a lot of data. This cannot be done in the traditional way of simulating circuits using the GUI. Hence an automation procedure has been suggested which can be made to work to create energy models by simulating the memories comprehensively. Finally, basic ground work has been initiated by creating a workflow for the creation of the energy model.

Memory unit is one of the fundamental hardware components in system-on-chip (SoC) design, and takes a significant portion of total area cost. Although commercial memory compilers exist, they usually contains memory unit with single-port or dual ports. However, many SoC designs require memory units that support simultaneous multiple reads and writes. They cannot be efficiently generated using the existing memory compilers in the standard cell library. In this thesis, we develop a memory generator that can automatically produce the circuits of multi-port SRAM and all the necessary models required in the standard cell-based design flow. Compared to the design based on dual-port SRAM from memory compilers which usually consists of duplicated copies of SRAM units for supporting multiple write at the same, the proposed design has smaller area cost. Furthermore, we employ various low-power design concepts, including power-gating and adaptive body-bias, to reduce the dynamic and static power of the generated SRAM circuits. Experimental results show that the proposed multi-port SRAM generator can be used to synthesize low-power and low-area register file circuits that support multiple reads and writes at the same time.

<p>At Saab Aerospace in Linköping, components for measurement systems to the fighter aircraft JAS 39 Gripen are developed. In this activity you sometimes want to record the traffic transmitted on the data busses that connects different sys-tems. This traffic on the data busses is using the military standard MIL-STD-1553. </p><p>This project has aimed to create a system for recording and sending 1553-data. The system is used on an ordinary personal computer, equipped with a recon- figurable I/O card that among others has a programmable logic circuit (FPGA). The recorded data are stored on a hard drive. The system has a graphical user interface, where the user can configure different methods of filtering the data, and other preferences. </p><p>The completed system has currently the capacity to record one channel. This works excellent and the system basically meets all the requirements stated at the start of the project. By using this system instead of the commercial available systems on the market one will get a competitive alternative. If the system where to be developed further, with more channels, it would get even more price worth. Both in case of price per channel, but also in functionality. This is because it is possible to design exactly the functions the user demands. But the current version is already fully functional and competitive compared to commercial systems.</p>

SRAM is a significant component in high speed computer design, which serves mainly as high speed storage elements like register files in microprocessors, or the interface like multiple-level caches between high speed processing elements and low speed peripherals. One method to design the SRAM is to use commercial memory compiler. Such compiler can generate different density/speed SRAM designs with single/dual/multiple ports to fulfill design purpose. There are discrepancy of the SRAM timing parameters between extracted layout netlist SPICE simulation vs. equation-based Liberty file (.lib) by a commercial memory compiler. This compiler takes spec values as its input and uses them as the starting points to generate the timing tables/matrices in the .lib. Originally large spec values are given to guarantee design correctness. While such spec values are usually too pessimistic when comparing with the results from extracted layout SPICE simulation, which serves as the “golden” rule. Besides, there is no margin information built-in such .lib generated by this compiler. A new methodology is proposed to get accurate spec values for the input of this compiler to generate more realistic matrices in .lib, which will benefit during the integration of the SRAM IP and timing analysis.

Les circuits cryptographiques, parce qu'ils contiennent des informations confidentielles, font l'objet de manipulations frauduleuses, appelées communément attaques, de la part de personnes mal intentionnées. Plusieurs attaques ont été répertoriées et analysées. L'une des plus efficaces actuellement, appelée cryptanalyse DFA (Differential Fault Analysis), exploite la présence de fautes, injectées volontairement par l'attaquant par exemple à l'aide d'un laser, dans les calculs. Cependant, les modèles de fautes utilisés dans ces attaques sont parfois très restrictifs et conditionnent leur efficacité. Il est donc important de bien connaître quel modèle de faute est pertinent ou réalisable en fonction du circuit cible et du moyen d'injection (dans notre cas le laser). Un première étude portant sur le type de fautes (Bit-set, Bit-reset ou Bit-flip) injectées sur des points mémoires SRAM a mis en évidence la forte dépendance des fautes injectées vis à vis des données manipulées et la quasi inexistence de fautes de type Bit-flip. Ce dernier résultat favorise grandement les attaques de type Safe Error et engendre donc un réel problème de sécurité. La mise en évidence de tels résultats a été possible grâce à des cartographies de sensibilité au laser réalisées sur une cellule SRAM isolée puis sur la mémoire RAM d'un micro-contrôleur 8 bits. Pour confirmer ces résultats expérimentaux, des simulations SPICE d'injection de fautes laser ont été réalisées à partir d'un modèle développé dans l'équipe. Ce modèle prend en compte la topologie de la cible. Des tests ont ensuite été réalisés sur un circuit ASIC implémentant l'algorithme AES. L'analyse des fautes a montré la présence des trois types de fautes mais aussi un faible taux d'injection. En revanche, le taux de répétabilité des fautes était particulièrement élevé. Cela nous a permis d'améliorer une attaque existante et d'obtenir au final une attaque plus efficace que les attaques classiques, nécessitant moins de chiffrements fautés et une analyse des résultats réduite pour retrouver la clef secrète. Enfin, une évaluation des contre-mesures embarquées dans ce circuit a montré leurs inefficacités vis à vis des attaques en fautes par laser. Des pistes d'amélioration ont ensuite été proposées.