Dependability threats

This chapter discusses dependability threads for modern integrated circuits that affect both their correct operation and performance. The text provides an overview of fault/error models adopted in methodologies for dependability assessment, analysis, and mitigation. Faults are categorized based on their applicability in the various abstraction layers. Their applicability to modern design trends such as FPGAs and NoCs is also presented. Furthermore, models for emerging and future dependability issues are discussed in the same rationale. In particular, special attention is given to those issues that typically arise during the operational life of the devices, causing either transient, intermittent or permanent failures, including aging and wear-out effects that directly affect their lifetime.