A New Distributed Self-repairing Strategy for Transient Fault Cell in Embryonics Circuit

Abstract

The embryonics circuit with cell array structure has the prominent characteristics of distributed self-controlling and self-repairing. Distributed self-repairing strategy is a key element in designing the embryonics circuit. However, all existing strategies of embryonics circuit mainly aim at the permanent faults, and lack of the transient faults. It would be a huge waste of hardware if a cell was permanently eliminated due to a local transient fault, and the waste will result in seriously low hardware utilization in those environments dominated by transient faults. In this paper, a new distributed self-repairing strategy named fault-cell reutilization self-repairing strategy (FCRSS) is proposed, where the cells with transient fault could be reused. Two mechanisms of elimination and reconfiguration are mixed together. Those transient fault-cells can be reconfigured to achieve fault-cell reutilization. Then, methods to design of all the modules are described in details. Lastly, circuit simulation and reliability analysis results prove that the FCRSS can increase hardware utilization rate and system reliability.