A Practitioner's Guide to Software-based Soft-Error Mitigation Using AN-Codes

Hoffmann M, Ulbrich P, Dietrich C, Schirmeier H, Lohmann D, Schröder-Preikschat W (2014)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2014

Publisher: IEEE Computer Society

Edited Volumes: Proceedings - 2014 IEEE 15th International Symposium on High-Assurance Systems Engineering, HASE 2014

Pages Range: 33-40

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Symposium on High Assurance Systems Engineering (HASE '14)

Event location: Miami, FL, USA

ISBN: 978-1-4799-3465-2

URI: https://www4.cs.fau.de/Publications/2014/hoffmann_14_hase.pdf

DOI: 10.1109/HASE.2014.14

Abstract

Arithmetic error coding schemes (AN codes) are a well known and effective technique for soft error mitigation. Although coding theory being a rich area of mathematics, their implementation seems to be fairly easy. However, compliance with the theory can be lost easily while moving towards an actual implementation - finally jeopardizing the aspired fault-tolerance characteristics. In this paper, we present our experiences and lessons learned from implementing AN codes in the Cored dependable voter. We focus on the challenges and pitfalls in the transition from maths to machine code for a binary computer from a systems perspective. Our results show, that practical misconceptions (such as the use of prime numbers) and architecture-dependent implementation glitches occur on every stage of this transition. We identify typical pitfalls and describe practical measures to find and resolve them. Our measures eliminate all remaining SDCs in the Cored voter, which is validated by an extensive fault-injection campaign that covers 100 percent of the fault space for 1-bit and 2-bit errors. © 2014 IEEE.

Authors with CRIS profile

Martin Hoffmann Lehrstuhl für Informatik 4 (Verteilte Systeme und Betriebssysteme) Peter Ulbrich Lehrstuhl für Informatik 4 (Verteilte Systeme und Betriebssysteme) Christian Dietrich Lehrstuhl für Informatik 4 (Verteilte Systeme und Betriebssysteme) Daniel Lohmann Lehrstuhl für Informatik 4 (Verteilte Systeme und Betriebssysteme) Wolfgang Schröder-Preikschat Lehrstuhl für Informatik 4 (Verteilte Systeme und Betriebssysteme)

Related research project(s)

Adaptive Responsive Embedded Systems (ESI 2) (ARES) ESI-Anwendungszentrum für die digitale Automatisierung, den digitalen Sport und die Automobilsensorik der Zukunft Jan. 1, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2018

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Dortmund DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Hoffmann, M., Ulbrich, P., Dietrich, C., Schirmeier, H., Lohmann, D., & Schröder-Preikschat, W. (2014). A Practitioner's Guide to Software-based Soft-Error Mitigation Using AN-Codes. In Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Symposium on High Assurance Systems Engineering (HASE '14) (pp. 33-40). Miami, FL, USA: IEEE Computer Society.

MLA:

Hoffmann, Martin, et al. "A Practitioner's Guide to Software-based Soft-Error Mitigation Using AN-Codes." Proceedings of the Symposium on High Assurance Systems Engineering, Miami, FL, USA IEEE Computer Society, 2014. 33-40.

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