TL32 Datasheet, PDF (13/31 Pages) List of Unclassifed Manufacturers – Real Time System Testing MIT 16.070 Lecture 32

Fault Tolerance - Checking Hardware Resources
How can a processor check its own status?
• Built-In-Test (BIT)
– Ongoing diagnostics of the hardware that runs the software
– Interface checks
• CPU testing (done in the background)
• Memory testing
– Checking for memory corruption due to vibration, power surges,
electrostatic discharge, single event upsets, etc.
– Use error detection & recovery schemes (CRC, Hamming Code)
• Watchdog Timers
– Counting registers used to ensure that devices are still on line
– CPU resets the timer at regular intervals. Timer overflow indicates
a problem with the CPU
hperry
5/4/01