FPGA Data Conveyor for Predictable Safety Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are rarely used in safety instrumentation and control systems due to unpredictable timing characteristics and the need for complex design processes, which limits their application in safety-critical domains like nuclear power plants, where CPU-based systems are preferred for their predictability.
Innovation Solution
A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) design that includes a data conveyor with configurable slots and a configuration circuit to enable diagram-centric project-specific engineering, allowing for flexible and predictable operation without modifying the basic circuit, reducing engineering costs and qualification efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If FPGAs are used in safety instrumentation and control systems, then flexibility and reconfigurability are improved, but timing predictability and design complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The FPGA is divided into multiple functional blocks (FBs) that can be independently configured and assigned to specific tasks. Each FB can be programmed to perform specific functions such as signal processing, logic operations, or data manipulation, allowing the system to be segmented into manageable, predictable units while maintaining overall flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A data conveyor mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between functional blocks to manage data transfer. This data conveyor includes configurable slots that can be assigned to specific FBs, creating a structured communication pathway that ensures predictable timing and data flow while allowing flexible configuration of the functional blocks themselves.
2Adaptability or versatility
If FPGAs are used in safety instrumentation and control systems, then reconfigurability is improved, but design complexity and qualification effort worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The FPGA architecture implements a universal data conveyor structure with standardized slots that can serve multiple functional blocks in different configurations. The same data conveyor infrastructure supports various FB configurations and communication patterns, reducing the need for separate design processes for different applications and simplifying qualification efforts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic configuration of functional blocks and data conveyor slots through parameter settings rather than structural redesign. Configuration parameters define which FBs access which slots, enabling reconfigurability through software-level parameter changes while maintaining the same hardware architecture, thus reducing design complexity and qualification burden.
3Ease of operation
If FPGAs are used in safety instrumentation and control systems, then operational flexibility is improved, but engineering costs and qualification efforts worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The FPGA system implements dynamic configuration capabilities where functional blocks and data conveyor slots can be assigned and reassigned based on operational requirements. This dynamic allocation allows the system to adapt to different operational modes and applications without requiring physical reconfiguration or additional hardware, reducing engineering costs while maintaining operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A field programmable gate array comprising: plurality of functional blocks at least one of the functional blocks comprising at least one function, at least one of the functions using a parameter, wherein the functional blocks are adapted to perform the at least one function in a calculation phase; a data conveyor comprising a plurality of data slots, wherein each functional block is, in a data transfer phase, adapted to receive input data from one or more predefined first slots and/or to provide output data into one or more predefined second slots; and a configuration circuit adapted to configure the parameter for the at least function using the parameter and to define the one or more first slots and/or the one or more second slots for at least one functional block, wherein the field programmable gate array is adapted to cyclically repeat the data transfer phase and calculation phase.