Watchdog Timer for PULP
From iis-projects
Contents
Overview
Status: Reserved
- Type: Semester or Bachelor Thesis
- Professor: Prof. Dr. L. Benini
- Supervisors:
Introduction
In many computer systems, both in embedded as well as full server systems, Watchdog Timers (WDT) are an essential safety feature, used to detect and correct malfunctions. Typically, a WDT resets an entire system once a counter expires, and to avoid this a properly running system will interfere and set the counter back to its original value (service the WDT). Should a fault in the system occur, either due to a hardware or software malfunction, the WDT will not be properly serviced, resulting in the system returning to its original state.
Project
Goal of this project is to implement a Watchdog Timer (WDT) for a PULP processor core. While a preliminary specification from RISC-V is available, a few additional features should be implemented, such as triggering an interrupt prior to expiration (2-stage WDT), as well as properly disabling the WDT while debugging.
Project structure:
- Familiarization with the PULP ecosystem, research on other WDT implementations & features
- Work out an internal guiding specification for the WDT (together with supervisors)
- Implement a WDT in hardware, integrate it into a PULPissimo SoC
- Properly verify the WDT, both with regular testbenches as well as software tests in the PULPissimo SoC
Character
- 10% Literature Review
- 70% Hardware Design
- 10% Software Design
- 10% Evaluation & Documentation
Prerequisites
- Strong interest in computer architecture
- Experience with digital design in SystemVerilog as taught in VLSI I