REFU: Redundant Execution with Idle Functional Units, Fault Tolerant GPGPU architecture

The General-Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) with energy efficient execution are increasingly used in wide range of applications due to high performance. These GPGPUs are fabricated with the cutting-edge technologies. Shrinking transistor feature size and aggressive voltage scaling has increased the susceptibility of devices to intrinsic and extrinsic noise leading to major reliability issues in the form of the transient faults. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the reliable operation of the GPGPUs in the presence of the transient faults. GPGPUs are designed for high throughput and execute the multiple threads in parallel, that brings a new challenge for the fault detection with minimum overheads across all threads. This paper proposes a new fault detection method called REFU, an architectural solution to detect the transient faults by temporal redundant re-execution of instructions using the idle functional execution units of the GPGPU. The performance of the REFU is evaluated with standard benchmarks, for fault free run across different workloads REFU shows mean performance overhead of 2%, average power overhead of 6%, and peak power overhead of 10%

Improvement of two traditional Basmati rice varieties for bacterial blight resistance and plant stature through morphological and marker-assisted selection

Bacterial blight (BB) is a major production threat to Basmati, the aromatic rice prized for its unique quality. In order to improve the BB resistance of two elite, traditional BB-susceptible Basmati varieties (Taraori Basmati and Basmati 386), we utilized the strategy of limited marker-assisted backcrossing for introgression of two major BB resistance genes, Xa21 and xa13, coupled with phenotype-based selection for improvement of their plant type and yield. Improved Samba Mahsuri, an elite high-yielding, fine-grain-type BB-resistant rice variety served as donor for BB resistance. Backcross-derived improved Basmati lines at BC1F5 possessing a single resistance gene (i.e. either Xa21 or xa13) displayed moderate resistance to BB, while lines possessing both Xa21 and xa13 showed significantly higher levels of resistance. Two-gene pyramid lines (Xa21 + xa13) possessing good grain and cooking quality similar to their respective traditional Basmati parents, short plant stature (<110 cm plant height) and higher grain yield than the recurrent parent(s) were identified and advanced. This work demonstrates the successful application of marker-assisted selection in conjunction with phenotype-based selection for targeted introgression of multiple resistance genes into traditional Basmati varieties along with improvement of their plant stature and yield

A new ATPG technique (MultiDetect) for testing of analog macros in mixed-signal circuits

A new test-set selection technique based on the frequency-domain testing of analog circuits is presented in this paper. We propose a new automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) method known as MultiDetect for testing linear time invariant (LTI) circuits. The proposed technique is best suited for use of existing building blocks in systems-on-chip for implementation of an on-chip test-signal generator and test-response analyzer. The generated test set with the MultiDetect method can effectively detect and diagnose both soft and hard faults and does not require any precision analog signal sources or signal measurement circuits when implemented as built-in self-test (BIST). Testing of analog blocks based on circuit-transfer function makes our ATPG a general purpose method for all kinds of LTI circuits. A new novel test method causing the device under test to saturate or get out of saturation, to detect a fault with simple detection hardware, is also introduced in this paper. In our proposed novel test scheme, usage of a single sinusoid as a test signal when compared to multitone signal, and detection of faults with digital counting technique, facilitate the test implementation with simple BIST hardware and make testing more cost effective. The sinusoid is a very useful waveform for testing and analyzing LTI circuits. In the steady state, both the input and output of a stable LTI circuit are sinusoids of the same frequency. The relationship between the amplitudes and phase angles of the input and output sinusoids is frequency-dependent. Identification of a sinusoid that detects more faults results in an optimized test signal set. The technique used in the MultiDetect method for identification of a sinusoid results in an efficient compacted test set. The search for fault diagnosis is restricted to a limited set of faults, making diagnosis fast in the MultiDetect method. A methodology for test-set compaction of the MultiDetect technique is described and results of experiments on various test circuits are discussed. The proposed method is seen to be efficient for low-power applications. The experimental results show that the testing of LTI circuits using the MultiDetect technique for the benchmark circuits achieves the required fault coverage with much shorter testi-ng time

Detection of Pseudomonas solanacearum in Wild Arachis Spp Imported from Brazil

Groundnut bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum) (=Ralstonia solanacearum) was intercepted on wild Arachis spp. when these were grown for quarantine clearance in the Post Entry Quarantine Isolation Area (PEQIA) at ICRISAT center, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India. These accessions were imported from Brazil. Also, there is no record of groundnut bacterial wilt occurrence in Andhra Pradesh. The symptoms of the disease expressed at temperatures more than 30°C. Occurrence of bacterial wilt on accessions from Brazil where the disease has not yet been reported indicates that the pathogen is possibly transmitted in “latent form” from one generation to the next in groundnuts grown under temperate conditions

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Not AvailableBacterial blight (BB) is a major production threat to Basmati, the aromatic rice prized for its unique quality. In order to improve the BB resistance of two elite, traditional BB-susceptible Basmati varieties (Taraori Basmati and Basmati 386), we utilized the strategy of limited marker-assisted backcrossing for introgression of two major BB resistance genes, Xa21 and xa13, coupled with phenotype-based selection for improvement of their plant type and yield. Improved Samba Mahsuri, an elite high-yielding, fine-grain-type BB-resistant rice variety served as donor for BB resistance. Backcross-derived improved Basmati lines at BC1F5 possessing a single resistance gene (i.e. either Xa21 or xa13) displayed moderate resistance to BB, while lines possessing both Xa21 and xa13 showed significantly higher levels of resistance. Two-gene pyramid lines (Xa21 + xa13) possessing good grain and cooking quality similar to their respective traditional Basmati parents, short plant stature (<110 cm plant height) and higher grain yield than the recurrent parent(s) were identified and advanced. This work demonstrates the successful application of marker-assisted selection in conjunction with phenotype-based selection for targeted introgression of multiple resistance genes into traditional Basmati varieties along with improvement of their plant stature and yield.Not Availabl