Runtime Adaptation of Embedded Tasks with A-Priori Known Timing Behavior Utilizing On-Line Partner-Core Monitoring and Recovery

Abstract

As the development of heterogeneous embedded Systems-on-Chip with a multitude of hardware accelerator coprocessors creates new possibilities for evolution in aerospace, medicine, communications and consumer eras, improving reliable performance of systems is therefore increasingly important and challenging. Our contributions pertaining to this context are two-fold. We focus on enhancing reliability in the execution of coprocessor tasks with a priori known execution times by allowing an embedded system to identify anomalous software behaviors and additionally to provide rapid online reconfiguration and re-execution in run-time. We present an innovative methodology that combines hardware and software techniques for flexibility, through essentially employing low-cost on-line monitoring, debugging and real-time replacement of the failing sections of software algorithms in an embedded multi-core system. The proposed mechanisms introduce negligible performance degradation, reduced hardware cost and require minimum code instrumentation.