On the use of analytical techniques for reliability analysis in presence of hardware-induced errors

Reliability related to hardware-induced errors has become one of the important design issues in the design of modern digital systems, and is inherently in conflict with other goals, especially energy-efficiency. To derive reliability approaches that are cost-effective, accurate fault/error information should be provided for the system across the design layers. This information typically comes from system simulation, which is time-consuming due to the huge complexity of modern systems. This paper discusses the potential and the limitations of using analytical techniques as a more scalable way to study error propagation. Examples are given relating to the domain of communication systems.