Concurrent error detection in array multipliers by BIDO

Array multipliers consist of full adders (FAs). When the sums and carrys are propagated down through the array, each row of FAs is used only once. Most FAs are doing no useful work at any given time. The authors design a concurrent error-detectable array multiplier using bidirectional operation (BIDO). The BIDO implementation employs the inherent idle FAs in an array multiplier to perform the repeated operation. As a result, both normal and repeated operations are performed in one single set of hardware simultaneously. The experimental results show that the BIDO implementation has the following significant benefits: (i) It has a moderate hardware overhead, but little performance degradation and (ii) The time and hardware overheads are constant for detecting both single and multiple faults