Cone of Influence Hardware Safety Analysis for Integrated Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fault simulation methods for hardware safety analysis in integrated circuits are inefficient, requiring large computational resources, high engineering effort, and providing stimulus-dependent metrics, which affects the validity of results and is not suitable for complex safety-critical systems.
Innovation Solution
The Safety-Aware Hardware Partitioning (SAHP) method uses safety-specific design structural analysis and cone of influence (COI) analysis without fault simulation, employing error-correcting code (ECC) protection and FROM elements to accurately extract and identify protected and unprotected logic, reducing the need for fault simulation and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fault simulation is used to determine hardware safety metrics, then fault coverage can be measured, but large computational resources are required and engineering effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit into cones of influence (COI) based on safety requirements. By dividing the circuit into relevant segments that only include components affecting safety metrics, the computational scope is reduced while maintaining accuracy in safety analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes irrelevant components from the analysis by using COI to identify only those circuit elements that can affect safety metrics. This extraction eliminates unnecessary computational overhead from components that do not contribute to safety analysis
2Reliability
If fault simulation is used to determine hardware safety metrics, then fault coverage can be measured, but stimulus setup and result analysis require high engineering effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the analysis system to automatically identify relevant circuit components and safety metrics without requiring manual stimulus setup or result analysis. The COI-based approach allows the system to self-determine which components to analyze based on safety requirements, reducing engineering effort
3Measurement precision
If fault simulation is used, then stimulus-dependent metrics can be obtained, but validity of results is affected due to stimulus limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal COI-based analysis framework that can evaluate all relevant circuit components regardless of specific test stimuli. This multi-functional approach ensures that safety metrics are derived from structural analysis of all potentially relevant components, making results valid independent of stimulus limitations
Data Source
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AI summary
A safety analysis method is based on a safety-specific design structural analysis and cone of influence (COI) that does not require fault simulation. The method for performing a safety analysis of an integrated circuit based on a safety-specific design structural analysis and cone of influence comprises generating with a processor a computed set of basic design elements by intersecting two transitive cones of influence, wherein a first cone of influence is a transitive fanin cone of influence starting from a TO element and a second cone of influence is a transitive fanout cone of influence starting from a FROM element.