Error Repair Circuitry Selective Disable for IC Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits with built-in error detection and repair mechanisms consume time and energy, and existing methods require all errors to be repaired, which can impact performance and power consumption, especially in applications where some errors can be tolerated without significant impact.
Innovation Solution
The integration of error tolerance circuitry that selectively disables error repair circuitry based on processing semantics, allowing errors to be tolerated in certain types of processing, reducing system resources required without affecting results, by using control parameters dependent on processing operations and signal characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If error repair circuitry is always enabled to correct all detected errors, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The error repair circuitry is made dynamic through selective enabling and disabling based on processing type. The system transitions from a static always-enabled error repair mode to a dynamic mode where the repair circuitry is activated only when needed, optimizing the balance between reliability and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels of error correction are applied to different processing operations. Critical processing operations receive full error correction, while non-critical operations have error correction disabled, creating localized quality differentiation throughout the processing pipeline.
2Reliability
If error repair circuitry is always enabled to correct all detected errors, then reliability is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The error repair circuitry operates dynamically by being enabled or disabled based on the current processing operation. This dynamic control allows the system to minimize processing time by avoiding unnecessary error repair operations for non-critical processing types.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying full error correction to all operations (excessive action), the system applies error correction only to the extent needed for critical operations (partial action), thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining necessary reliability.
3Measurement precision
If error repair is performed for all detected errors, then processing accuracy is maintained, but system resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different levels of error correction to different processing operations. Critical operations maintain high processing accuracy through full error repair, while non-critical operations use reduced or no error correction, optimizing system resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The error correction behavior is changed as a controllable parameter based on processing type. The system adjusts the error repair parameter dynamically - enabling it for critical operations and disabling it for non-critical operations, thereby optimizing the balance between processing accuracy and system resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit is provided with error detection circuitry and error repair circuitry. Error tolerance circuitry is responsive to a control parameter to selectively disable the error repair circuitry. The control parameter is dependent on the processing performed within the circuit. For example, the control parameter may be generated in dependence upon the program instruction being executed, the output signal value which is in error, the previous behavior of the circuit or in other ways.