Application of convolutional codes for the protection of FPGA against single failures caused by outer space radiation effects

Increasing the resistance of a system consisting of several programmable logic integrated circuits (FPGA) to space radiation effects is discussed in the paper. Only upsets (non-catastrophic failures) peculiar to the radiation-resistant FPGAs of the Antifuse type are considered. An algorithm of convolutional coding is proposed as a solution. The coder in this case is improved due to the replacement of a shift register by a cyclically rewritable register. The Viterbi algorithm is used for decoding. The algorithm considered in the article allows correcting errors not only in a noisy channel but also errors in the coder and decoder resulting from heavy ions hitting. The results of covering tests of implementation of a mathematical model of the algorithm proved one hundred per cent probability of correcting single errors in all units. The data obtained in the physical implementation of the algorithm in FPGA confirms the estimated reliability.