A circuit includes a voltage comparator with an output, a first input and a second input, the first input being coupled to a first reference voltage terminal. An operational transconductance amplifier has an output coupled to the second input of the voltage comparator, an inverting input coupled to the output of the operational transconductance amplifier, and a non-inverting input coupled to a second reference voltage terminal. A filter capacitor is coupled in series between a power supply terminal and the second input of the voltage comparator.

A production method for producing a circuit optimized to be protected against radiation includes a preliminary characterization stage performed on a reference circuit. The preliminary characterization stage includes the steps of: irradiating the reference circuit a plurality of times; after each irradiation, if one or more reference elements of the reference circuit have failed, locating said reference element(s); and mapping the impact of the irradiations on the reference surface of the reference circuit. The production method further includes an optimization stage comprising the step of adapting the position of at least one optimized radiation-sensitive element on at least one optimized surface of the optimized circuit as a function of the mapping performed on the reference circuit.

An electrical operating device includes measuring equipment for an electrical measured variable, and preprocessing equipment for digital measured values. The preprocessing equipment has an integrated circuit and an electronic memory component for configuring a logic circuit. A processor evaluates preprocessed measurement data and, on the basis of the evaluation, transmits data telegrams to other electrical operating devices. The preprocessing equipment calculates a respective checksum for a digital measured value, and the processor recognizes a malfunction from the measured value and the checksum of the measured value, and suppresses the evaluation and/or the transmission of the data telegrams in the event of a malfunction. There is also described a method for recognizing malfunctions.

A method tests at least three devices, each device including a test chain having a plurality of positions storing test data. The testing includes comparing test data in a last position of the test chain of each of the devices, and shifting test data in the test chains of each of the devices and storing a result of the comparison in a first position of the test chains of each of the devices. The comparing and the shifting and storing are repeated until all the stored test data has been compared. The at least three devices may have a same functionality and a same structure.

Fault injection testing for field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices including: interfacing with a FPGA device under test (DUT); imaging a configuration RAM (CRAM) of the FPGA DUT with a first configuration image to define a first operational function of the FPGA DUT where the CRAM includes a plurality of CRAM bits, injecting a plurality of single event upsets into a portion of the plurality of the CRAM bits while the FPGA DUT is operating; concurrently monitoring operations of the FPGA DUT and a reference FPGA device; comparing outputs of the FPGA DUT with outputs of the reference FPGA device during concurrent operations, and if there is a mismatch between the outputs of the FPGA DUT and the reference FPGA, determining that error events have occurred within the FPGA DUT; and storing the error events and CRAM location data associated with corresponding single event upsets in an error log.

Fault injection testing for field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices including: interfacing with a FPGA device under test (DUT); imaging a configuration RAM (CRAM) of the FPGA DUT with a first configuration image to define a first operational function of the FPGA DUT where the CRAM includes a plurality of CRAM bits, injecting a plurality of single event upsets into a portion of the plurality of the CRAM bits while the FPGA DUT is operating; concurrently monitoring operations of the FPGA DUT and a reference FPGA device; comparing outputs of the FPGA DUT with outputs of the reference FPGA device during concurrent operations, and if there is a mismatch between the outputs of the FPGA DUT and the reference FPGA, determining that error events have occurred within the FPGA DUT; and storing the error events and CRAM location data associated with corresponding single event upsets in an error log.

This application is directed to methods and devices of detecting and correcting a fault in an integrated circuit. A latching circuit outputs a first voltage level at an output, and a function control signal is generated to hold the first voltage level outputted by the latching circuit. A single event upset originates within the latching circuit and causes the first voltage level at the output of the latching circuit to transition to a second voltage level. When the single event upset is detected, the latching circuit is controlled via a clear signal to reset its output to the first voltage level. A glitch is thereby formed on the first voltage level at the output of the latching circuit. The glitch is suppressed at the output of the latching circuit to generate the function control signal holding the first voltage level without the glitch.

A method for generating redundant configuration in FPGA devices includes: analysing the configuration pertaining to a given design to be configured, or already configured, in the FPGA device, in order to identify programmed and empty configuration memory portions, configuring the FPGA device for implementing said design, measuring the power consumption of the configured FPGA device, copying the configuration from at least some subsets of the programmed portion to subsets of the empty portion, (a) verifying the configuration read back from said subsets of the empty portion with the configuration data read from said subsets of the programmed portion, (b) verifying whether the functionality of the design after the copy is still correct, (c) measuring the power consumption of the FPGA device, and verifying whether the power consumption of the FPGA device after the copy is acceptable according to pre-defined criteria, if the verification steps (a), (b) and (c) are all successful the redundant configuration is correctly generated, and if the verification steps (a), (b) and (c) are not all successful the method restarts from the beginning choosing other subsets of the empty portion of the FPGA device for hosting the configuration data from said subsets of the programmed portion.

A production method for producing a circuit optimized to be protected against radiation includes a preliminary characterization stage performed on a reference circuit. The preliminary characterization stage includes the steps of: irradiating the reference circuit a plurality of times; after each irradiation, if one or more reference elements of the reference circuit have failed, locating said reference element(s); and mapping the impact of the irradiations on the reference surface of the reference circuit. The production method further includes an optimization stage comprising the step of adapting the position of at least one optimized radiation-sensitive element on at least one optimized surface of the optimized circuit as a function of the mapping performed on the reference circuit.

A circuit includes a voltage comparator with an output, a first input and a second input, the first input being coupled to a first reference voltage terminal. An operational transconductance amplifier has an output coupled to the second input of the voltage comparator, an inverting input coupled to the output of the operational transconductance amplifier, and a non-inverting input coupled to a second reference voltage terminal. A filter capacitor is coupled in series between a power supply terminal and the second input of the voltage comparator.