Low-cost and highly reliable detector for transient and crosstalk faults affecting FPGA interconnects

In this paper we present a novel circuit for the on-line detection of transient and crosstalk faults affecting the interconnects of systems implemented using Field Programmable Gate-Arrays (FPGAs). The proposed detector features self-checking ability with respect to faults possibly affecting itself, thus being suitable for systems with high reliability requirements, like those for space applications. Compared to alternate solutions, the proposed circuit requires a significantly lower area overhead, while implying a comparable, or lower, impact on system performance. We have verified our circuit operation and self-checking ability by means of post-layout simulations.