Analysis of single-event effects in combinational logic-simulation of the AM2901 bitslice processor

On-Chip Characterization of Single-Event Transient Pulsewidths

“…The probability that a SET will result in an error is dependent on the propagation distance through the combinational logic circuit and the arrival time of the SET at the latch input [1,7]. Wider pulses have a greater probability of propagating through the circuit and of being present at the latching edge of the clock.…”

Design of a soft-error robust microprocessor

“…They can be caused by radiation-induced particles as well electrical noise like noisy power supply, crosstalk noise, electromagnetic interference (EMI), radiation from lightning, etc (ZIEGLER et al, 1996;VARGAS;NICOLAIDIS, 1995;MAHESHWARI;KOREN;BURLESON, 2003;KRISHNAMOHAN, MAHAPATRA, 2004). In a digital device, a direct Single Event Upset (SEU) occur when a storage element is directly affected by a SET in such way that it causes an undesired change on the memorized information as a bit flip (MASSENGILL et al, 2000). A SET pulse can be generated on a combinational logic circuit.…”

“…Some works dedicate special attention to analyze the probability of a SET becoming an indirect SEU (HASS et al, 1998;HASS, 1999;MASSENGILL et al, 2000;NICOLAIDIS, 2002). Other approaches like a SET propagation method based on topological timing analysis could be used to evaluate such probability too.…”

“…Evaluation resources like (MASSENGILL et al, 2000;LIMA et al, 2001-a;NICOLAIDIS, 2002; might offer some answers concerning the effectiveness of mitigation techniques against indirect and direct SEUs on the circuits. However, these works and other many ideas about this issue even lack advances to become in consolidated and practical analysis tools for large circuits.…”

“…The Soft Single Event Effects (Soft SEEs) are caused specially by alpha particles (released by radioactive impurities) and, more importantly, cosmic rays (neutrons) hitting on the silicon chips and transferring charge to the circuit nodes with enough energy able to perturb its storage elements (BORKAR, 2005). These effects are classified in accord to the localization of the attacked node on the IC: direct upsets at nodes of storage elements causing alteration in their information as bit flips can be called direct Single Event Upsets (SEUs) (MASSENGILL et al, 2000); transient voltage fluctuations at any circuit node due to radiation-induced particles as well electrical noise are characterized as Single Event Transients (SETs) (KRISHNAMOHAN, MAHAPATRA, 2004). Especially SETs on combinational circuits are modeled like transient pulses that might propagate up to the storage elements and might be captured.…”