MF-RALU: design of an efficient multi-functional reversible arithmetic and logic unit for processor design on field programmable gate array platform

Most modern computer applications use reversible logic gates to solve power dissipation issues. This manuscript uses an efficient multi-functional reversible arithmetic and logical unit (MF-RALU) to perform 30 operations. The 32-bit MF-RALU includes arithmetic, logical, complement, shifters, multiplexers, different adders, and multipliers. The multi-bit reversible multiplexers are used to construct the MF-RALU structure. The Reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor is designed to realize the functionality of the MF-RALU. The MF-RALU can perform its operation in a single clock cycle. The 1-bit RALU is developed and compared with existing approaches with improvements in performance metrics. The 32-bit reversible arithmetic units (RAUs) and reversible logical units (RLUs) are constructed using 1-bit RALU. The MF-RALU and RISC processor are synthesized individually in the Vivado environment using Verilog-HDL and implemented on Artix-7 field programmable gate array (FPGA). The MF-RALU utilizes a <11% chip area and consumes 332 mW total power. The RISC processor utilizes a <3% chip area and works at 483 MHZ frequency by consuming 159 mW of total power on Artix-7 FPGA

Analysis and application of digital spectral warping in analog and mixed-signal testing

Spectral warping is a digital signal processing transform which shifts the frequencies contained within a signal along the frequency axis. The Fourier transform coefficients of a warped signal correspond to frequency-domain 'samples' of the original signal which are unevenly spaced along the frequency axis. This property allows the technique to be efficiently used for DSP-based analog and mixed-signal testing. The analysis and application of spectral warping for test signal generation, response analysis, filter design, frequency response evaluation, etc. are discussed in this paper along with examples of the software and hardware implementation

Explorations for Efficient Reversible Barrel Shifters and Their Mappings in QCA Nanocomputing

This thesis is based on promising computing paradigm of reversible logic which generates unique outputs out of the inputs and. Reversible logic circuits maintain one-to-one mapping inside of the inputs and the outputs. Compared to the traditional irreversible computation, reversible logic circuit has the advantage that it successfully avoids the information loss during computations. Also, reversible logic is useful to design ultra-low-power nanocomputing circuits, circuits for quantum computing, and the nanocircuits that are testable in nature. Reversible computing circuits require the ancilla inputs and the garbage outputs. Ancilla input is the constant input in reversible circuits. Garbage output is the output for maintaining the reversibility of the reversible logic but is not any of the primary inputs nor a useful bit. An efficient reversible circuit will have the minimal number of garbage and ancilla bits. Barrel shifter is one of main computing systems having applications in high speed digital signal processing, oating-point arithmetic, FPGA, and Center Processing Unit (CPU). It can operate the function of shifting or rotation for multiple bits in only one clock cycle. The goal of this thesis is to design barrel shifters based on the reversible computing that are optimized in terms of the number of ancilla and garbage bits. In order to achieve this goal, a new Super Conservative Reversible Logic Gate (SCRL gate) has been used. The SCRL gate has 1 control input depending on the value of which it can swap any two n-1 data inputs. We proved that the SCRL gate is superior to the existing conservative reversible Fredkin gate. This thesis develops 5 design methodologies for reversible barrel shifters using SCRL gates that are primarily optimized with the criteria of the number of ancilla and garbage bits. The five proposed methodologies consist of reversible right rotator, reversible logical right shifter, reversible arithmetic right shifter, reversible universal right shifter and reversible universal bidirectional shifter. The proposed reversible barrel shifter design is compared with the existing works in literature and have shown improvement ranging from 8.5% to 92% by the number of garbage and ancilla bits. The SCRL gate and design methodologies of reversible barrel shifter are mapped in Quantum Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) computing. It is illustrated that the SCRL-based designs of reversible barrel shifters have less QCA cost (cost in terms of number of inverters and majority voters) compared to the Fredkin gate- based designs of reversible barrel shifters

Online testing in ternary reversible logic

xii, 92 leaves : ill. ; 29 cmIn recent years ternary reversible logic has caught the attention of researchers because of its enormous potential in different fields, in particular quantum computing. It is desirable that any future reversible technology should be fault tolerant and have low power consumption; hence developing testing techniques in this area is of great importance. In this work we propose a design for an online testable ternary reversible circuit. The proposed design can implement almost all of the ternary logic operations and is also capable of testing the reversible ternary network in real time (online). The error detection unit is also constructed in a reversible manner, which results in an overall circuit which meets the requirements of reversible computing. We have also proposed an upgrade of the initial design to make the design more optimized. Several ternary benchmark circuits have been implemented using the proposed approaches. The number of gates required to implement the benchmarks for each approach have also been compared. To our knowledge this is the first such circuit in ternary with integrated online testability feature

Design of Low Power Counters Using Reversible Logic

ABSTRACT: In today's world, the complexity of the chip is increasing as more and more devices are being connected on a single chip. Due to the high density of the chip, the power dissipation increases demanding better power optimization methods. One of the methods to achieve power optimization is by using reversible logic. It can be used in low power CMOS designs, quantum computing, nanotechnology and optical computing. This paper presents an optimized sixteen-bit binary sequential counter based on reversible logic using Feynman, and Fredkin gates. Optimization of the sequential circuit is achieved on the basis of total number of gates used in the circuit and total number of garbage outputs generated. Circuits have been designed using Cadence Virtuoso Schematic Editor

Combining paraconsistent and dynamic logic for Qiskit

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia FísicaThis dissertation introduces a logic aimed at combining dynamic logic and paraconsistent logic for application to the quantum domain, to reason about quantum phase properties: Paraconsistent Phased Logic Of Quantum Programs (PhLQP◦ ). In the design PhLQP◦ , firstly the dynamic was built first, Phased Logic Of Quantum Programs (PhLQP). PhLQP is itself a dynamic logic capable of dealing with quantum phase properties, quantum measurements, unitary evolutions, and entanglements in compound systems , since it is a redesign of the already existing Logic Of Quantum Programs (LQP), [14], over a representation of quantum states restricted to a space B equipped with only two computational basis, standard and Hadamard. As instances of applications of the logic PhLQP, there is a formal proof of the correctness of the Quantum Teleportation Protocol, of the 2-party and 4-party of the Quantum Leader Election (QLE) protocol, and of the Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT) operator for 1, 2 and 3 qubits . On a second stage, PhLQP was extended with the connective ◦ known as the consistency operator, a typical connective of the paraconsistent logics Logics of Formal Inconsistency (LFIs), [8, 21, 22]. The definition of consistent quantum state and a set of proper para consistent axioms for the quantum domain, Fundamental Paraconsistent Quantum Axioms (FParQAxs), were provided. An example of application of PhLQP◦ is the possibility of express and prove correctness of the universal quantum gate, the Deustch gate.Esta dissertação introduz uma lógica que tem como objectivo combinar lógica dinâmica e lógica paraconsistente com aplicação no domínio quântico, assim como expressar propriedades relacionadas com fases quânticas: PhLQP◦. No projetar da PhLQP◦, primeiramente concebeu-se a sua componente dinâmica, PhLQP. PhLQP por si só é uma lógica capaz de lidar com propriedades de fases quânticas, evoluções unitárias, e entrelaçamento em sistemas compostos, uma vez que é um redesenhar da já existente LQP, [14], sobre uma representação de estados quânticos restrita a um espaço B munido de apenas duas bases computacionais, standard e Hadamard. Como instâncias de aplicação da lógica PhLQP, há uma prova formal para a correção do protocolo de Teletransporte Quântico, para o protocolo QLE para uma party quer de 2 quer de 4 agentes, e para o operador de QFT de 1, 2, e 3 qubits. Numa segunda fase, PhLQP é extendida com a conectiva ◦, conhecida como operador de consistência, uma conectiva característica das LFIs, [8, 21, 22]. E a partir desta conectiva a definição de estado quântico consistente é um conjunto de axiomas paraconsistentes próprios para o domínio quântico, FParQAxs. Um exemplo de aplicação da PhLQP◦ é a possibilidade de expressar e permitir correção para o comportamento da gate quântica universal, a Deutsch-gate

Resilience of an embedded architecture using hardware redundancy

In the last decade the dominance of the general computing systems market has being replaced by embedded systems with billions of units manufactured every year. Embedded systems appear in contexts where continuous operation is of utmost importance and failure can be profound. Nowadays, radiation poses a serious threat to the reliable operation of safety-critical systems. Fault avoidance techniques, such as radiation hardening, have been commonly used in space applications. However, these components are expensive, lag behind commercial components with regards to performance and do not provide 100% fault elimination. Without fault tolerant mechanisms, many of these faults can become errors at the application or system level, which in turn, can result in catastrophic failures. In this work we study the concepts of fault tolerance and dependability and extend these concepts providing our own definition of resilience. We analyse the physics of radiation-induced faults, the damage mechanisms of particles and the process that leads to computing failures. We provide extensive taxonomies of 1) existing fault tolerant techniques and of 2) the effects of radiation in state-of-the-art electronics, analysing and comparing their characteristics. We propose a detailed model of faults and provide a classification of the different types of faults at various levels. We introduce an algorithm of fault tolerance and define the system states and actions necessary to implement it. We introduce novel hardware and system software techniques that provide a more efficient combination of reliability, performance and power consumption than existing techniques. We propose a new element of the system called syndrome that is the core of a resilient architecture whose software and hardware can adapt to reliable and unreliable environments. We implement a software simulator and disassembler and introduce a testing framework in combination with ERA’s assembler and commercial hardware simulators

The 1991 3rd NASA Symposium on VLSI Design

Papers from the symposium are presented from the following sessions: (1) featured presentations 1; (2) very large scale integration (VLSI) circuit design; (3) VLSI architecture 1; (4) featured presentations 2; (5) neural networks; (6) VLSI architectures 2; (7) featured presentations 3; (8) verification 1; (9) analog design; (10) verification 2; (11) design innovations 1; (12) asynchronous design; and (13) design innovations 2

Testability and redundancy techniques for improved yield and reliability of CMOS VLSI circuits

The research presented in this thesis is concerned with the design of fault-tolerant integrated circuits as a contribution to the design of fault-tolerant systems. The economical manufacture of very large area ICs will necessitate the incorporation of fault-tolerance features which are routinely employed in current high density dynamic random access memories. Furthermore, the growing use of ICs in safety-critical applications and/or hostile environments in addition to the prospect of single-chip systems will mandate the use of fault-tolerance for improved reliability. A fault-tolerant IC must be able to detect and correct all possible faults that may affect its operation. The ability of a chip to detect its own faults is not only necessary for fault-tolerance, but it is also regarded as the ultimate solution to the problem of testing. Off-line periodic testing is selected for this research because it achieves better coverage of physical faults and it requires less extra hardware than on-line error detection techniques. Tests for CMOS stuck-open faults are shown to detect all other faults. Simple test sequence generation procedures for the detection of all faults are derived. The test sequences generated by these procedures produce a trivial output, thereby, greatly simplifying the task of test response analysis. A further advantage of the proposed test generation procedures is that they do not require the enumeration of faults. The implementation of built-in self-test is considered and it is shown that the hardware overhead is comparable to that associated with pseudo-random and pseudo-exhaustive techniques while achieving a much higher fault coverage through-the use of the proposed test generation procedures. The consideration of the problem of testing the test circuitry led to the conclusion that complete test coverage may be achieved if separate chips cooperate in testing each other's untested parts. An alternative approach towards complete test coverage would be to design the test circuitry so that it is as distributed as possible and so that it is tested as it performs its function. Fault correction relies on the provision of spare units and a means of reconfiguring the circuit so that the faulty units are discarded. This raises the question of what is the optimum size of a unit? A mathematical model, linking yield and reliability is therefore developed to answer such a question and also to study the effects of such parameters as the amount of redundancy, the size of the additional circuitry required for testing and reconfiguration, and the effect of periodic testing on reliability. The stringent requirement on the size of the reconfiguration logic is illustrated by the application of the model to a typical example. Another important result concerns the effect of periodic testing on reliability. It is shown that periodic off-line testing can achieve approximately the same level of reliability as on-line testing, even when the time between tests is many hundreds of hours

New techniques for functional testing of microprocessor based systems

Electronic devices may be affected by failures, for example due to physical defects. These defects may be introduced during the manufacturing process, as well as during the normal operating life of the device due to aging. How to detect all these defects is not a trivial task, especially in complex systems such as processor cores. Nevertheless, safety-critical applications do not tolerate failures, this is the reason why testing such devices is needed so to guarantee a correct behavior at any time. Moreover, testing is a key parameter for assessing the quality of a manufactured product. Consolidated testing techniques are based on special Design for Testability (DfT) features added in the original design to facilitate test effectiveness. Design, integration, and usage of the available DfT for testing purposes are fully supported by commercial EDA tools, hence approaches based on DfT are the standard solutions adopted by silicon vendors for testing their devices. Tests exploiting the available DfT such as scan-chains manipulate the internal state of the system, differently to the normal functional mode, passing through unreachable configurations. Alternative solutions that do not violate such functional mode are defined as functional tests. In microprocessor based systems, functional testing techniques include software-based self-test (SBST), i.e., a piece of software (referred to as test program) which is uploaded in the system available memory and executed, with the purpose of exciting a specific part of the system and observing the effects of possible defects affecting it. SBST has been widely-studies by the research community for years, but its adoption by the industry is quite recent. My research activities have been mainly focused on the industrial perspective of SBST. The problem of providing an effective development flow and guidelines for integrating SBST in the available operating systems have been tackled and results have been provided on microprocessor based systems for the automotive domain. Remarkably, new algorithms have been also introduced with respect to state-of-the-art approaches, which can be systematically implemented to enrich SBST suites of test programs for modern microprocessor based systems. The proposed development flow and algorithms are being currently employed in real electronic control units for automotive products. Moreover, a special hardware infrastructure purposely embedded in modern devices for interconnecting the numerous on-board instruments has been interest of my research as well. This solution is known as reconfigurable scan networks (RSNs) and its practical adoption is growing fast as new standards have been created. Test and diagnosis methodologies have been proposed targeting specific RSN features, aimed at checking whether the reconfigurability of such networks has not been corrupted by defects and, in this case, at identifying the defective elements of the network. The contribution of my work in this field has also been included in the first suite of public-domain benchmark networks