FT-UNSHADES-uP: A platform for the analysis and optimal hardening of embedded systems in radiation environments

Designing dependable systems is a systematic task where area, power and performance are competing constraints. In many applications, design restrictions do not permit the total hardening of a design, leaving some internal circuitry vulnerable to radiation effects. Hierarchical analysis is necessary to identify the relative importance and vulnerability of individual sub-circuits in a design so that selective hardening can be optimally applied. This paper describes the tool FT-UNSHADES-uP which provides an environment and methodology for the rapid dynamic hierarchical analysis of embedded based processor systems using runtime fault injection. A case study is presented, analyzing the effects of fault injection in the embedded RAM and internal registers of a MicroBlaze uP system. The results can be used for the optimal hardening of the FPGA or ASIC design.