Approximate circuits for increased reliability
| DWPI Title: Non-transitory computer readable storage medium for utilizing approximate circuits for increased reliability, has instructions for invoking synthesis tool to synthesize voter circuit to receive outputs generated by approximate circuits |
| Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a Boolean circuit having a voter circuit and a plurality of approximate circuits each based, at least in part, on a reference circuit. The approximate circuits are each to generate one or more output signals based on values of received input signals. The voter circuit is to receive the one or more output signals generated by each of the approximate circuits, and is to output one or more signals corresponding to a majority value of the received signals. At least some of the approximate circuits are to generate an output value different than the reference circuit for one or more input signal values; however, for each possible input signal value, the majority values of the one or more output signals generated by the approximate circuits and received by the voter circuit correspond to output signal result values of the reference circuit. |
| Use: Non-transitory computer readable storage medium for utilizing approximate circuits for providing increased reliability. |
| Advantage: The medium enables utilizing a Boolean majority function in conjunction with the approximate circuits for providing enhanced reliability against soft errors, and varying specific parameters for producing predictable reliability behavior, while simplifying search for potential approximate circuits to be used. |
| Novelty: The medium has a set of instructions for invoking a synthesis tool to synthesize a set of approximate circuits based on a reference logic function and a voter circuit (320) to receive outputs generated by the approximate circuits and output a majority value of the received outputs, where logic functions implemented in the approximate circuits are different from the reference logic function, and are selected such that the majority value of the outputs generated by the approximate circuits and received by the voter circuit corresponds to outputs of the reference logic function. |
| Filed: 7/6/2015 |
| Application Number: US14792109A |
| Tech ID: SD 12843.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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