Designing MRF based error correcting circuits for memory elements

As devices are scaled to the nanoscale regime, it is clear that future nanodevices will be plagued by higher soft error rates and reduced noise margins. Traditional implementations of error correcting codes (ECC) can add to the reliability of systems but can be ineffective in highly noisy operating conditions. This paper proposes an implementation of ECC based on the theory of Markov random fields (MRF). The MRF probabilistic model is mapped onto CMOS circuitry, using feedback between transistors to reinforce the correct joint probability of valid logical states. We show that our MRF approachprovides superior noise immunity for memory systems that operate under highly noisy conditions.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: DATE
• Authors: Kundan Nepal, R. Iris Bahar, Joseph L. Mundy, William R. Patterson, Alexander Zaslavsky
• Keywords: DATE 2006, Hardware, MRF Probabilistic Model, Noisy Operating Conditions, Reduced Noise Margins