SoCMake: Modular RISC-V SoCs for Radiation-Harsh and Safety-Critical Environments

AI Analysis

Abstract

Key Highlights

• SoCMake is part of the System-on-Chip Radiation-Tolerant Ecosystem (SOCRATES).
• It enables modular RISC-V SoCs for radiation-harsh and safety-critical environments.
• Targets high-energy physics (HEP) experiments and other safety-critical domains.
• Incorporates fault-tolerant techniques like triple modular redundancy (TMR), hardened interconnects, and memory protection.
• TriglaV is a fully radiation-hardened prototype ASIC demonstrating the platform's capabilities for LHC detector front-end electronics.

Technical Details

• The project focuses on programmable SoCs for control tasks and local data processing.
• Fault-tolerant techniques include triple modular redundancy (TMR), hardened interconnects, and memory protection.
• SoCMake is actively developed and used to produce prototype chips.
• TriglaV is a fully radiation-hardened prototype ASIC.
• TriglaV is designed for reliable operation in the radiation environment typical of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) detector front-end electronics.

Implications

• Enables early adoption of programmable SoCs in ASIC designs for high-energy physics (HEP) experiments.
• Supports a range of HEP applications, from front-end detector readout to infrastructure monitoring in harsh radiation environments.
• Fault-tolerant techniques are applicable to safety-critical embedded controllers in domains such as automotive and industrial control systems.
• Provides a foundation for optimizing SoC design through in-field operation in challenging environments.

Limitations

• Current efforts primarily focus on programmable SoCs for control tasks and local data processing, such as chip calibration.
• Physics data processing is identified as a longer-term prospect.
• The platform is under active development, with ongoing work and future directions being reported.