Using Partial Duplication With Compare to Detect Radiation-Induced Failure in a Commercial FPGA-Based Networking System

Abstract

Duplication with compare, a circuit-level fault-detection technique, is used in this study in a partial manner to detect radiation-induced failures in a commercial FPGA-based networking system. A novel approach is taken to overcome challenges presented by multiple clock domains, the use of third-party IP, and the collection of error detection signals dispersed throughout the design. Novel fault injection techniques are also used to evaluate critical regions of the target design. Accelerated neutron radiation testing was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the applied technique. One design version was able to detect 45% of all failures with the proposed technique applied to 29% of the circuit components within the design. Another design version was able to detect 31% of all failures with the proposed technique applied to only 8% of circuit components.