Methodologies to Study Frequency-Dependent Single Event Effects Sensitivity in Flash-Based FPGAs

Flash-based FPGAs are more and more interesting for space applications because of their robustness against Single Event Upsets (SEUs) in configuration memory. However, as Single Event Effects (SEEs) are still a concern both for user memory and the configurable logic, accurate evaluations are needed to identify mitigation techniques for securing their use in space missions. In this paper the SEE sensitivity of circuits implemented in Flash-based FPGAs is evaluated with respect to the working frequency and different routing schemes. We outline different methodologies that can be used in order to characterize SEE sensitivity, using both heavy-ions radiation experiments and analytical approaches. Experimental results detail the contributions of different SEEs as a function of operating frequency and routing on a realistic circuit.