FPGAs are frequently used in network systems to provide the performance and flexibility that is required of modern computer networks while allowing network vendors to bring products to market quickly. Like all electronic devices, FPGAs are vulnerable to ionizing radiation which can cause applications operating on an FPGA to fail. These low-level failures can have a wide range of negative effects on the performance of a network system. As computer networks play a larger role in modern society, it becomes increasingly important that these soft errors are addressed in the design of network systems.This work presents a framework for testing the soft-error reliability of FPGA-based networking systems. The framework consists of the NetFPGA development board, a custom traffic generator, and a custom high-speed JTAG configuration device. The NetFPGA development board is versatile and can be used to implement a wide range of network applications. The traffic generator is used to exercise the network system on the NetFPGA and to determine the health of that system. The JTAG configuration device is used to manage reliability experiments, to perform fault injection into the FPGA, and to monitor the NetFPGA during radiation tests.This thesis includes soft-error reliability tests that were performed on an Ethernet switch network system. Using both fault injection and accelerate radiation testing, the soft error sensitivity of the Ethernet switch was measured. The Ethernet switch design was then mitigated using triple module redundancy and duplication with compare. These mitigated designs were also tested and compared against the baseline design. Radiation testing shows that TMR provides a 5.05x improvement in reliability over the baseline design. DWC provides a 5.22x improvement in detectability over the baseline design without reducing the reliability of the system.

No description available.

O desafio de implementar tolerância a falhas em sistemas embarcados advém das restrições físicas de ocupação de área, dissipação de potência e consumo de energia desses sistemas. A necessidade de otimizar essas três restrições de projeto concomitante à computação dentro dos requisitos de desempenho e de tempo-real cria um problema difícil de ser resolvido. Soluções clássicas de tolerância a falhas tais como redundância modular dupla e tripla não são factíveis devido ao alto custo em potência e a falta de um mecanismo para se recuperar erros. Apesar de algumas técnicas existentes reduzirem o overhead de potência e área, essas incorrem em alta degradação de desempenho e muitas vezes assumem um modelo de falhas que não é factível. Essa tese introduz a Pilha de HW/SW Transacional, ou simplesmente Pilha, para gerenciar de maneira eficiente as restrições de área, potência, cobertura de falhas e desempenho. A Pilha introduz uma nova estratégia de compilação que organiza os programas em Blocos Básicos Transacionais (BBT), juntamente com um novo processador, a Arquitetura de Blocos Básicos Transacionais (ABBT), a qual provê detecção e recuperação de erros de grão fino e determinística ao usar o BBT como um contâiner de erros e como unidade de checkpointing. Duas soluções para prover a semântica de execução do BBT em hardware são propostas, uma baseada em software e a outra em hardware. A área, potência, desempenho e cobertura de falhas foram avaliadas através do modelo de hardware do ABBT. A Pilha provê uma cobertura de falhas de 99,35%, com overhead de 2,05 em potência e 2,65 de área. A Pilha apresenta overhead de desempenho de 1,33 e 1,54, dependento do modelo de hardware usado para suportar a semântica de execução do BBT. / Fault tolerance implementation in embedded systems is challenging because the physical constraints of area occupation, power dissipation, and energy consumption of these systems. The need for optimizing these three physical constraints while doing computation within the available performance goals and real-time deadlines creates a conundrum that is hard to solve. Classical fault tolerance solutions such as triple and dual modular redundancy are not feasible due to their high power overhead or lack of efficient and deterministic error recovery. Existing techniques, although some of them reduce the power and area overhead, incur heavy perfor- mance penalties and most of the time do not assume a feasible fault model. This dissertation introduces the Transactional HW/SW Stack, or simply Stack, to effi- ciently manage the area, power, fault coverage, and performance conundrum. The Stack introduces a new compilation strategy that assembles programs into Transac- tional Basic Blocks, together with a novel microprocessor, the TransactiOnal Basic Block Architecture (ToBBA), which provides fine-grained error detection and deter- ministic error rollback and elimination using the Transactional Basic Blocks (TBBs) both as a container for errors and as a small unit of data checkpointing. Two so- lutions to sustain the TBB semantics in hardware are introduced: software- and hardware-based. Stack’s area, power, performance, and coverage were evaluated using ToBBA’s hardware implementation model. The Stack attains an error correc- tion coverage of 99.35% with 2.05 power overhead within an area overhead of 2.65. The Stack also presents a performance overhead of 1.33 or 1.54, depending on the hardware model adopted to support the TBB.

O desafio de implementar tolerância a falhas em sistemas embarcados advém das restrições físicas de ocupação de área, dissipação de potência e consumo de energia desses sistemas. A necessidade de otimizar essas três restrições de projeto concomitante à computação dentro dos requisitos de desempenho e de tempo-real cria um problema difícil de ser resolvido. Soluções clássicas de tolerância a falhas tais como redundância modular dupla e tripla não são factíveis devido ao alto custo em potência e a falta de um mecanismo para se recuperar erros. Apesar de algumas técnicas existentes reduzirem o overhead de potência e área, essas incorrem em alta degradação de desempenho e muitas vezes assumem um modelo de falhas que não é factível. Essa tese introduz a Pilha de HW/SW Transacional, ou simplesmente Pilha, para gerenciar de maneira eficiente as restrições de área, potência, cobertura de falhas e desempenho. A Pilha introduz uma nova estratégia de compilação que organiza os programas em Blocos Básicos Transacionais (BBT), juntamente com um novo processador, a Arquitetura de Blocos Básicos Transacionais (ABBT), a qual provê detecção e recuperação de erros de grão fino e determinística ao usar o BBT como um contâiner de erros e como unidade de checkpointing. Duas soluções para prover a semântica de execução do BBT em hardware são propostas, uma baseada em software e a outra em hardware. A área, potência, desempenho e cobertura de falhas foram avaliadas através do modelo de hardware do ABBT. A Pilha provê uma cobertura de falhas de 99,35%, com overhead de 2,05 em potência e 2,65 de área. A Pilha apresenta overhead de desempenho de 1,33 e 1,54, dependento do modelo de hardware usado para suportar a semântica de execução do BBT. / Fault tolerance implementation in embedded systems is challenging because the physical constraints of area occupation, power dissipation, and energy consumption of these systems. The need for optimizing these three physical constraints while doing computation within the available performance goals and real-time deadlines creates a conundrum that is hard to solve. Classical fault tolerance solutions such as triple and dual modular redundancy are not feasible due to their high power overhead or lack of efficient and deterministic error recovery. Existing techniques, although some of them reduce the power and area overhead, incur heavy perfor- mance penalties and most of the time do not assume a feasible fault model. This dissertation introduces the Transactional HW/SW Stack, or simply Stack, to effi- ciently manage the area, power, fault coverage, and performance conundrum. The Stack introduces a new compilation strategy that assembles programs into Transac- tional Basic Blocks, together with a novel microprocessor, the TransactiOnal Basic Block Architecture (ToBBA), which provides fine-grained error detection and deter- ministic error rollback and elimination using the Transactional Basic Blocks (TBBs) both as a container for errors and as a small unit of data checkpointing. Two so- lutions to sustain the TBB semantics in hardware are introduced: software- and hardware-based. Stack’s area, power, performance, and coverage were evaluated using ToBBA’s hardware implementation model. The Stack attains an error correc- tion coverage of 99.35% with 2.05 power overhead within an area overhead of 2.65. The Stack also presents a performance overhead of 1.33 or 1.54, depending on the hardware model adopted to support the TBB.

O desafio de implementar tolerância a falhas em sistemas embarcados advém das restrições físicas de ocupação de área, dissipação de potência e consumo de energia desses sistemas. A necessidade de otimizar essas três restrições de projeto concomitante à computação dentro dos requisitos de desempenho e de tempo-real cria um problema difícil de ser resolvido. Soluções clássicas de tolerância a falhas tais como redundância modular dupla e tripla não são factíveis devido ao alto custo em potência e a falta de um mecanismo para se recuperar erros. Apesar de algumas técnicas existentes reduzirem o overhead de potência e área, essas incorrem em alta degradação de desempenho e muitas vezes assumem um modelo de falhas que não é factível. Essa tese introduz a Pilha de HW/SW Transacional, ou simplesmente Pilha, para gerenciar de maneira eficiente as restrições de área, potência, cobertura de falhas e desempenho. A Pilha introduz uma nova estratégia de compilação que organiza os programas em Blocos Básicos Transacionais (BBT), juntamente com um novo processador, a Arquitetura de Blocos Básicos Transacionais (ABBT), a qual provê detecção e recuperação de erros de grão fino e determinística ao usar o BBT como um contâiner de erros e como unidade de checkpointing. Duas soluções para prover a semântica de execução do BBT em hardware são propostas, uma baseada em software e a outra em hardware. A área, potência, desempenho e cobertura de falhas foram avaliadas através do modelo de hardware do ABBT. A Pilha provê uma cobertura de falhas de 99,35%, com overhead de 2,05 em potência e 2,65 de área. A Pilha apresenta overhead de desempenho de 1,33 e 1,54, dependento do modelo de hardware usado para suportar a semântica de execução do BBT. / Fault tolerance implementation in embedded systems is challenging because the physical constraints of area occupation, power dissipation, and energy consumption of these systems. The need for optimizing these three physical constraints while doing computation within the available performance goals and real-time deadlines creates a conundrum that is hard to solve. Classical fault tolerance solutions such as triple and dual modular redundancy are not feasible due to their high power overhead or lack of efficient and deterministic error recovery. Existing techniques, although some of them reduce the power and area overhead, incur heavy perfor- mance penalties and most of the time do not assume a feasible fault model. This dissertation introduces the Transactional HW/SW Stack, or simply Stack, to effi- ciently manage the area, power, fault coverage, and performance conundrum. The Stack introduces a new compilation strategy that assembles programs into Transac- tional Basic Blocks, together with a novel microprocessor, the TransactiOnal Basic Block Architecture (ToBBA), which provides fine-grained error detection and deter- ministic error rollback and elimination using the Transactional Basic Blocks (TBBs) both as a container for errors and as a small unit of data checkpointing. Two so- lutions to sustain the TBB semantics in hardware are introduced: software- and hardware-based. Stack’s area, power, performance, and coverage were evaluated using ToBBA’s hardware implementation model. The Stack attains an error correc- tion coverage of 99.35% with 2.05 power overhead within an area overhead of 2.65. The Stack also presents a performance overhead of 1.33 or 1.54, depending on the hardware model adopted to support the TBB.

No description available.

De nombreuses applications industrielles spécifiques dans les secteurs tels que l'automobile, le médical et le spatial, requièrent un très haut niveau de fiabilité. Ce type d'applications fonctionnant sous des contraintes sévères (haute température, corrosion, vibration, radiations,…) impose aux industriels des spécifications particulières en termes de fiabilité et de consommation d'énergie. Dans ce contexte, les travaux menés ont pour objectif d'étudier la fiabilité des mémoires Flash embarquées pour des applications faible consommation et à forte contrainte de fiabilité. Après une introduction orientée sur les deux volets d'étude que sont la caractérisation électrique et le test de mémoires non volatiles, un modèle physique capable de modéliser le courant de SILC a été développé. Cet outil permet de répondre à la problématique de perturbations en lecture (read disturb) et donne aux designers et technologues un moyen d'estimer le taux de défaillance de cellules mémoires en fonction de paramètres physiques, géométriques et électriques ainsi que des moyens d'action afin de minimiser ce phénomène indésirable. La fiabilité (oxyde tunnel, endurance) et les performances (consommation énergétique) de la cellule Flash sont ensuite étudiées en explorant les variations de paramètres du procédé de fabrication et des conditions électriques de fonctionnement. Enfin, une étude originale menée en temps réel sur plus de 15 mois est consacrée à la fiabilité en rétention des mémoires Flash soumises aux effets des particules radiatives présentes dans l'environnement naturel terrestre. / Many specific applications used in automotive, medical and spatial activity domains, require a very high level of reliability. These kinds of applications, working under severe constraints (high temperature, corrosion, vibration, radiations…) challenge memory manufacturers and impose them particular specifications in terms of reliability and energy consumption. In this context, work presented in this thesis aim at studying embedded Flash memories reliability for low power and high reliability applications. After an introduction oriented on areas of electrical characterizations and Test of non-volatile memories, a physical model of SILC leakage current is developed. This tool is used to answer to disturbs problematic and gives to designers and technologists a way to estimate the failure rate of memory cells according to physical, geometrical and electrical parameters, giving leads to minimize this unwanted phenomenon. Reliability (tunnel oxide, cell endurance) and performances (energy consumption) of Flash memory cell are then studied exploring process parameters variations and electrical conditions optimizations. Finally, an original real-time experiment over more than 15 months is focused on Flash memories retention reliability due to irradiative particles effects of natural terrestrial environment.

En la presente tesis se propone una metodología de desarrollo de estrategias híbridas para la mitigación de fallos inducidos por radiación en los sistemas empotrados modernos. La propuesta se basa en los principios del co-diseño de sistemas y consiste en la combinación selectiva, incremental y flexible de enfoques de tolerancia a fallos basados en hardware y software. Es decir, la exploración del espacio de soluciones se fundamenta en una estrategia híbrida de grano fino. El flujo de diseño está guiado por los requisitos de la aplicación. Esta metodología se ha denominado: co-endurecimiento. De esta forma, es posible diseñar sistemas embebidos confiables a bajo coste, donde no sólo se satisfagan los requisitos de confiabilidad y las restricciones de diseño, sino que también se evite el uso excesivo de costosos mecanismos de protección (hardware y software).

En raison de leur impact sur la fiabilité des systèmes, les effets du rayonnement cosmique sur l’électronique ont été étudiés dès le début de l’exploration spatiale. Néanmoins, de récentes évolutions industrielles bouleversent les pratiques dans le domaine, les technologies standard devenant de plus en plus attrayantes pour réaliser des circuits durcis aux radiations. Du fait de leurs fréquences élevées, des nouvelles architectures de transistor et des temps de durcissement réduits, les puces fabriquées suivant les derniers procédés CMOS posent de nombreux défis. Ce travail s’attelle donc à la simulation des aléas logiques permanents (SEU) et transitoires (SET), en technologies FD-SOI et bulk Si avancées. La réponse radiative des transistors FD-SOI 28 nm est tout d’abord étudiée par le biais de simulations TCAD, amenant au développement de deux modèles innovants pour décrire les courants induits par particules ionisantes en FD-SOI. Le premier est principalement comportemental, tandis que le second capture des phénomènes complexes tels que l’amplification bipolaire parasite et la rétroaction du circuit, à partir des premiers principes de semi-conducteurs et en accord avec les simulations TCAD poussées.Ces modèles compacts sont alors couplés à une plateforme de simulation Monte Carlo du taux d’erreurs radiatives (SER) conduisant à une large validation sur des données expérimentales recueillies sous faisceau de particules. Enfin, des études par simulation prédictive sont présentées sur des cellules mémoire et portes logiques en FD-SOI 28 nm et bulk Si 65 nm, permettant d’approfondir la compréhension des mécanismes contribuant au SER en orbite des circuits intégrés modernes / The effects of cosmic radiation on electronics have been studied since the early days of space exploration, given the severe reliability constraints arising from harsh space environments. However, recent evolutions in the space industry landscape are changing radiation effects practices and methodologies, with mainstream technologies becoming increasingly attractive for radiation-hardened integrated circuits. Due to their high operating frequencies, new transistor architectures, and short rad-hard development times, chips manufactured in latest CMOS processes pose a variety of challenges, both from an experimental standpoint and for modeling perspectives. This work thus focuses on simulating single-event upsets and transients in advanced FD-SOI and bulk silicon processes.The soft-error response of 28 nm FD-SOI transistors is first investigated through TCAD simulations, allowing to develop two innovative models for radiation-induced currents in FD-SOI. One of them is mainly behavioral, while the other captures complex phenomena, such as parasitic bipolar amplification and circuit feedback effects, from first semiconductor principles and in agreement with detailed TCAD simulations.These compact models are then interfaced to a complete Monte Carlo Soft-Error Rate (SER) simulation platform, leading to extensive validation against experimental data collected on several test vehicles under accelerated particle beams. Finally, predictive simulation studies are presented on bit-cells, sequential and combinational logic gates in 28 nm FD-SOI and 65 nm bulk Si, providing insights into the mechanisms that contribute to the SER of modern integrated circuits in orbit

CubeSat missions needs components that are tolerant against the radiation in space. The hardware components must be reliable, and it must not compromise the functionality on-board during the mission. At the same time, the cost of hardware and its development should not be high. Hence, this thesis discusses the design and development of a CubeSat architecture using a Commercial Off-The- Shelf (COTS) Multi-Processor System on Chip (MPSoC). The architecture employs an affordable Rad-Hard Micro-Controller Unit as a Supervisor for the MPSoC. Also, it uses several radiation mitigation techniques such as the Latch-up protection circuit to protect it against Single-Event Latch-ups (SELs), Readback scrubbing for Non- Volatile Memories (NVMs) such as NOR Flash and Configuration scrubbing for the FPGA present in the MPSoC to protect it against Single-Event Upset (SEU)s, reliable communication using Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) and Space packet protocol. Apart from such functionalities, the Supervisor executes tasks such as Watchdog that monitors the liveliness of the applications running in the MPSoC, data logging, performing Over-The-Air Software/Firmware update. The thesis work implements functionalities such as Communication, Readback memory scrubbing, Configuration scrubbing using SEM-IP, Watchdog, and Software/Firmware update. The execution times of the functionalities are presented for the application done in the Supervisor. As for the Configuration scrubbing that was implemented in Programmable Logic (PL)/FPGA, results of area and latency are reported. / CubeSat-uppdrag behöver komponenter som är toleranta mot strålningen i rymden. Maskinvarukomponenterna måste vara pålitliga och funktionaliteten ombord får inte äventyras under uppdraget. Samtidigt bör kostnaden för hårdvara och dess utveckling inte vara hög. Därför diskuterar denna avhandling design och utveckling av en CubeSatarkitektur med hjälp av COTS (eng. Custom-off-The-Shelf) MPSoC (eng. Multi Processor System-on-Chip). Arkitekturen använder en prisvärd strålningshärdad (eng. Rad-Hard) Micro-Controller Unit(MCU) som Övervakare för MPSoC:en och använder också flera tekniker för att begränsa strålningens effekter såsom kretser för att skydda kretsen från s.k. Single Event Latch-Ups (SELs), återläsningsskrubbning för icke-volatila minnen (eng. Non-Volatile Memories) NVMs som NOR Flash och skrubbning av konfigurationsminnet skrubbning för FPGA:er i MPSoC:en för att skydda dem mot Single-Event Upsets (SEUs), och tillhandahålla pålitlig kommunikation mha CRC och Space Packet Protocol. Bortsett från sådana funktioner utför Övervakaren uppgifter som Watchdog för att övervaka att applikationerna som körs i MPSoC:en fortfarande är vid liv, dataloggning, och Over- the-Air-uppdateringar av programvaran/Firmware. Examensarbetet implementerar funktioner såsom kommunikation, återläsningsskrubbning av minnet, konfigurationsminnesskrubbning mha SEM- IP, Watchdog och uppdatering av programvara/firmware. Exekveringstiderna för utförandet av funktionerna presenteras för den applikationen som körs i Övervakaren. När det gäller konfigurationsminnesskrubbningen som implementerats i den programmerbara logiken i FPGA:n, rapporteras area och latens.