Configuration Self-Scrubber for Xilinx Virtex-5QV FPGAs
The Xilinx Virtex-5QV is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) designed for use in space applications
The Xilinx Virtex-5QV is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) designed for use in space applications. Despite radiation hardening of this particular FPGA, single-event upsets still occasionally corrupt the configuration memory of the device, requiring the use of a “scrubber” to correct these upset bits. Though scrubbing has historically required a separate external device, Sandia Labs developed a “self-scrubber” that scrubs the configuration memory of the same device in which it is implemented. This eliminates the need for a separate external device, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of programs that utilize Xilinx Virtex-5QV FPGAs.
The “self-scrubber” is a module written in VHDL that is intended to be integrated into a larger FPGA design. The self-scrubber module accesses the FPGA configuration memory through the internal ICAP configuration port and continually reads through the memory contents looking for errors. The self-scrubber corrects single-bit errors as they are discovered and is capable of reliably detecting double-bit errors in each frame. For frames with two or more bits in error, the errors are corrected by reloading the frame in error from an external memory.
The “self-scrubber” is an extremely cost effective, power conservative, and reliable alternative to external scrubbing when mitigating errors in the configuration memory of the Virtex-5QV FPGA.
Benefits
- Eliminates the use of expensive external devices to mitigate radiation damage
- Easily programmable onto the device
- Continuous error correction in the configuration profile
Applications and Industries
- Space-based computing platforms that utilize Xilinx Virtex-5QV FPGA parts
Patent Title | Patent Number | Grant Date |
---|---|---|
Processing device with self-scrubbing logic | 9,792,184 | 10/17/2017 |
SD#12505
Published8/25/2016
Last Updated10/27/2017