Improving the Reliability of Xilinx 7 Series FPGAs through Configuration Scrubbing

Scrubbing is a process in which a memory is systematically read, checked for errors, and corrected when an error is found. Scrubbing is used as a form of mitigation against data corruption that may be induced by internal or external stimuli. Radiation is an example of an external stimulus which can corrupt data values in semiconductor devices. Some environments, such as space, have high levels of radiation. When using semiconductor devices in a high radiation environment scrubbing can be used to help mitigate the effects the radiation has on the circuitry. The development of two FPGA configuration scrubbing architectures are discussed. The limitations of the first system are presented and a second system designed to resolve these issues is presented. A configuration scrubbing system suitable for space flight is also presented