Compiler-assisted soft error detection under performance and energy constraints in embedded systems

Jie Hu, Feihui Li, Vijay Degalahal, Mahmut Kandemir, N. Vijaykrishnan, Mary J. Irwin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Soft errors induced by terrestrial radiation are becoming a significant concern in architectures designed in newer technologies. If left undetected, these errors can result in catastrophic consequences or costly maintenance problems in different embedded applications. In this article, we focus on utilizing the compiler's help in duplicating instructions for error detection in VLIW datapaths. The instruction duplication mechanism is further supported by a hardware enhancement for efficient result verification, which avoids the need of additional comparison instructions. In the proposed approach, the compiler determines the instruction schedule by balancing the permissible performance degradation and the energy constraint with the required degree of duplication. Our experimental results show that our algorithms allow the designer to perform trade-off analysis between performance, reliability, and energy consumption.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number27
JournalTransactions on Embedded Computing Systems
Volume8
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2009

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Software
  • Hardware and Architecture

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Compiler-assisted soft error detection under performance and energy constraints in embedded systems'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this