Multi-Chip Module With Different Process Technologies for Fail-Safe Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic devices controlling industrial processes lack guaranteed fail-safe operation due to processor and I/O interface failures, which is a concern for achieving certain Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) certifications, especially as they are prone to external factors like radiation and electrical stress, and redundant processor setups are costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A multi-chip module (MCM) with at least two dies fabricated using different process technologies, each with independent processors and I/O interfaces, allows for failure detection and safe state transition of industrial processes through high-speed interconnects, reducing the likelihood of common cause failures and eliminating the need for additional board components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple redundant processors are used to ensure fail-safe operation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple processors and their I/O interfaces into a single integrated package, where processors from different process technologies are combined on one substrate. This eliminates the need for multiple separate processors on the board, reducing device complexity while maintaining fail-safe operation through diversity of process technologies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite process technologies by integrating processors fabricated using different process technologies (e.g., CMOS and bipolar) within a single package. This composite approach provides diversity against common-cause failures while reducing the need for additional board-level components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If processors are exposed to out-of-tolerance voltages or currents, then operational flexibility is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of process technology type by using processors from different process technologies with different electrical characteristics and tolerance ranges. This allows the system to operate under a wider range of voltage and current conditions while maintaining reliability, as one processor type may tolerate conditions that cause another to fail.
Solution Approach 2:
By combining processors from different process technologies, the system gains adaptability to various electrical conditions while the diversity of process technologies provides inherent protection against failures caused by out-of-tolerance voltages or currents affecting all processors equally.
3Adaptability or versatility
If I/O interfaces interact with large external voltages or biases, then operational capability is improved, but reliability worsens due to potential interface failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical parameters of the I/O interfaces by providing separate interfaces for each processor with different voltage and current capabilities. This allows the system to interact with large external voltages or biases through appropriate interfaces while maintaining overall system reliability through redundancy and diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the I/O interfaces so that each processor has its own dedicated interface rather than sharing a common interface. This segmentation isolates potential failures to individual interfaces, preventing a single point of failure and allowing the system to maintain operational capability even when one interface fails under high voltage or bias conditions.
4Device complexity
If single processor is used to control industrial process, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates as fail-safe operation cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple processors with different process technologies into a single integrated package, providing fail-safe operation without increasing board-level complexity. The integrated package appears as a single device while internally containing redundant processors that can take over if one fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite process technologies within a single package to provide diversity against failures. Different process technologies have different failure modes and tolerance characteristics, ensuring that a failure in one processor does not necessarily affect the others, thereby guaranteeing fail-safe operation without increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-chip module includes a first die having a control processor to generate a signal to control an industrial process and an input/output interface. The multi-chip module also includes a second die having a supervisory processor and an input/output interface. A processor failure of one of the control processor and the supervisory processor is detected by the other of the control processor and the supervisory processor, and the processor that detects the failure is configured to assert a signal through its input/output interface to cause the industrial process to transition to a safe state in response to the failure. Additionally, the first and second dies are created using different process technologies.