A systematic methodology to compute the architectural vulnerability factors for a high performance microprocessor

Single-event upsets from particle strikes have become a key challenge in microprocessor design. Techniques to deal with these transient faults exist, but come at a cost. Designers clearly require accurate estimates of processor error rates to make appropriate cost/reliability trade-offs. This paper describes a method for generating these estimates. A key aspect of this analysis is that some single-bit faults (such as those occurring in the branch predictor) will not produce an error in a program's output. We define a structure's architectural vulnerability factor (AVF) as the probability that a fault in that particular structure will result in an error. A structure's error rate is…