Title :
A New Hybrid Nonintrusive Error-Detection Technique Using Dual Control-Flow Monitoring
Author :
Parra, Lucas ; Lindoso, A. ; Portela-Garcia, M. ; Entrena, L. ; Du, Bo ; Sonza Reorda, M. ; Sterpone, L.
Author_Institution :
Electron. Technol. Dept., Univ. Carlos III of Madrid, Leganes, Spain
Abstract :
Hybrid error-detection techniques combine software techniques with an external hardware module that monitors the execution of a microprocessor. The external hardware module typically observes the control flow at the input or at the output of the microprocessor and compares it with the expected one. This paper proposes a new hybrid technique that monitors the control flow at both points and compares them to detect possible errors. The proposed approach does not require any software modification to detect control-flow errors. Fault-injection campaigns have been performed on an LEON3 microprocessor. The results show full control-flow error detection with no performance degradation and small area overhead. A complete solution can be obtained by complementing the proposed approach with software fault-tolerance techniques for data errors.
Keywords :
error detection; fault tolerance; integrated circuit design; integrated circuit reliability; microprocessor chips; radiation hardening (electronics); LEON3 microprocessor; control flow error detection; control flow errors; dual control flow monitoring; external hardware module; fault injection; hybrid error detection techniques; hybrid nonintrusive error detection technique; microprocessor execution; software techniques; Circuit faults; Fault tolerance; Hardware; Microprocessors; Monitoring; Registers; Software; Fault tolerance; hybrid fault tolerance techniques; microprocessors; single-event effects (SEEs); soft errors;
Journal_Title :
Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TNS.2014.2361953