Bus Response Delay Testing for SoC Timeout Fault Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) face challenges in managing bus transactions due to varying response times from bus slaves, which can lead to processing delays and system errors, potentially causing the bus master to enter a hang state, affecting system reliability and safety.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a bus response modifier that can delay or mask responses from bus slaves to bus masters, allowing for controlled testing of timeout conditions and fault detection, using a timeout checker to manage predefined time limits and perform fault processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bus master waits for a response from the bus slave, then the system can detect errors and ensure data integrity, but the bus master may enter a hang state if the response time exceeds the predefined timeout period
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures a timeout checker with a predefined timeout period before the bus transaction begins. This preliminary action allows the system to automatically detect hang states and trigger fault processing without requiring complex runtime decision-making, thus maintaining reliability while preventing operational deadlock
Solution Approach 2:
The timeout checker acts as an intermediary component between the bus master and the fault processing circuit. It monitors the response time and mediates the interaction by triggering fault processing when the timeout period expires, preventing the bus master from entering a hang state while ensuring error detection capability is maintained
2Reliability
If the system uses a timeout checker to detect hang states, then fault processing can be initiated, but the system requires additional monitoring components and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The timeout checker is designed as a multi-functional component that not only monitors response times but also triggers fault processing and prevents hang states. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the system achieves reliable fault detection without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The timeout checker autonomously monitors the bus transaction and automatically triggers fault processing when the timeout period expires, without requiring external intervention or complex control logic. This self-service capability reduces the burden on other system components and simplifies the overall architecture
3Productivity
If the bus master issues a read or write request, then data can be transferred efficiently, but the varying response times from bus slaves can cause processing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The timeout checker provides feedback about the response time of bus slaves to the fault processing circuit. This feedback mechanism allows the system to identify slaves with abnormally long response times and initiate appropriate fault processing, maintaining data transfer efficiency while managing processing delays
Data Source
AI summary
A bus response to a bus request transmitted by a bus master over a network circuit is received by a bus response modifier. The bus response is transmitted by a bus slave and the bus request and the bus response are associated with a bus transaction over the network circuit. The bus response modifier selects a delay time to delay the bus response to fault test a system and the bus response is delayed by the delay time. A determination is made whether the fault test fails based on the delayed bus response.