Multibit Fault Injection for Field-Programmable Gate Arrays with Simple, Portable Fault Injector

Static random-access-memory-based field-programmable gate array devices are an attractive option for onboard data processing in space systems due to higher computational capabilities and a lower power envelope than traditional processing devices. However, field-programmable gate arrays present unique reliability verification challenges because single-event upsets can trigger both data errors and configuration memory errors, which may cause deviations from the expected system functionality. To evaluate system reliability, traditional fault-injection testing uses numerous test vectors to observe the effects induced by a change of a single configuration memory bit at a time. This single-bit fault-injection methodology provides high fault coverage and testing repeatability, but it requires a long fault-injection time due to the large number of test vectors required to verify the entire design's functionality. Long injection times are further exacerbated as configuration memory size and design complexity increase. To shorten injection time, a Simple, Portable Fault Injector platform is proposed for field-programmable gate arrays used in tandem with a novel multibit fault-injection methodology that modifies multiple configuration memory bits, referred to as a batch, during each test. The proposed methodology is optimized to efficiently detect the faulty bits within a batch, adaptively select the optimal batch size, and optimize the fault-injection sequence based on the design's placement. Using relevant case studies, Simple, Portable Fault Injector for field-programmable gate arrays augmented with multibit fault-injection methodology reveals up to 50 times the speedup in fault-injection time.