Detecting SEEs in microprocessors through a non-intrusive hybrid technique

Abstract

This paper presents a hybrid technique based on software signatures and a hardware module with watchdog and decoder characteristics to detect SEU and SET faults in microprocessors. These types of faults have a major influence in the microprocessor’s control-flow, affecting the basic blocks and the transitions between them. In order to protect the transitions between basic blocks a light hardware module is implemented in order to spoof the data exchanged between the microprocessor and its memory. Since the hardware alone is not capable of detecting errors inside the basic blocks, it is enhanced to support the new technique and then provide full control-flow protection. A fault injection campaign is performed using a MIPS microprocessor. Simulation results show high detection rates with a small amount of performance degradation and area overhead.