SEU Mitigation User Guide: Agilex™ 3 FPGAs and SoCs

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ID 846231
Date 4/07/2025
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Agilex™ 3 SEU Mitigation Overview 2. Agilex™ 3 CRAM Error Mitigation 3. Secure Device Manager ECC Error Detection 4. Agilex™ 3 SEU Mitigation Implementation Guides 5. IP and Software References 6. Document Revision History for the SEU Mitigation User Guide: Agilex™ 3 FPGAs and SoCs
1. Agilex™ 3 SEU Mitigation Overview x
1.1. SEU Mitigation Techniques 1.2. Configuration RAM 1.3. Memory Blocks 1.4. Secure Device Manager ECC Error 1.5. Triple Modular Redundancy 1.6. Failure Rates
2. Agilex™ 3 CRAM Error Mitigation x
2.1. CRAM Error Detection and Correction 2.2. Error Message Queue 2.3. Scrubbing 2.4. SEU Sensitivity Processing 2.5. Design Hierarchy Sensitivity Classification 2.6. Evaluation of System Response to Upsets 2.7. Retrieving SEU Statistics using Mailbox Command
2.2. Error Message Queue x
2.2.1. SEU_ERROR Pin Behavior 2.2.2. Retrieving the Error Message Queue Contents Through Mailbox Command 2.2.3. Retrieving the Error Message Queue Content Using the HPS SDM Mailbox 2.2.4. Error Message Queue Bit Description
2.3. Scrubbing x
2.3.1. Internal Scrubbing 2.3.2. External Scrubbing
2.4. SEU Sensitivity Processing x
2.4.1. Advanced SEU Detection IP
2.4.1. Advanced SEU Detection IP x
2.4.1.1. Release Information for Advanced SEU Detection IP 2.4.1.2. On-Chip Lookup Sensitivity Processing 2.4.1.3. Off-Chip Lookup Sensitivity Processing 2.4.1.4. Sensitivity Map Header Lookup
2.5. Design Hierarchy Sensitivity Classification x
2.5.1. Hierarchy Tagging
2.6. Evaluation of System Response to Upsets x
2.6.1. Fault Injection Debugger
3. Secure Device Manager ECC Error Detection x
3.1. SDM ECC Error Message Bits 3.2. SDM ECC Error Signals Behavior
4. Agilex™ 3 SEU Mitigation Implementation Guides x
4.1. Setting the SEU_ERROR Pin 4.2. Setting Up the SEU Mitigation Features 4.3. Performing External Scrubbing 4.4. Assigning Regions for Hierarchy Tagging 4.5. Sensitivity Map Header 4.6. Using the Fault Injection Debugger
4.5. Sensitivity Map Header x
4.5.1. Programming the .smh File into Memory 4.5.2. Looking up the Sensitivity Map Header
4.5.2. Looking up the Sensitivity Map Header x
4.5.2.1. Sensitivity Map Header Revision 4 File Format Reference
4.6. Using the Fault Injection Debugger x
4.6.1. Launching and Setting Up the Fault Injection Debugger 4.6.2. Configuring Your Device using a Software Object File (.sof) 4.6.3. Constraining Regions for Fault Injection 4.6.4. Injecting Errors to Predefined Safe Locations 4.6.5. Blowing Fuse Bit to Enable Injecting All Error Types 4.6.6. Injecting Errors to Random Locations 4.6.7. Injecting Errors to Specific Locations 4.6.8. Injecting Double Adjacent Errors 4.6.9. Injecting SDM ECC Errors 4.6.10. Analyzing SEU or SDM ECC Errors Using Signal Tap
4.6.4. Injecting Errors to Predefined Safe Locations x
4.6.4.1. Listing the Predefined Safe Locations: Command-Line Interface 4.6.4.2. Injecting Errors to Predefined Safe Locations: Command-Line Interface 4.6.4.3. Injecting Errors to Predefined Safe Locations: GUI with Tcl Console 4.6.4.4. Injecting Error to Predefined Safe Locations: Mailbox Command
4.6.8. Injecting Double Adjacent Errors x
4.6.8.1. Injecting Double Adjacent Errors: Command-Line Interface 4.6.8.2. Injecting Double Adjacent Errors: GUI with Tcl Console
4.6.9. Injecting SDM ECC Errors x
4.6.9.1. Injecting SDM ECC Errors: Command-Line Interface 4.6.9.2. Injecting SDM ECC Errors: GUI with Tcl Console 4.6.9.3. Injecting SDM ECC Errors: Fault Injection Debugger 4.6.9.4. Injecting SDM ECC Errors: Mailbox Command
5. IP and Software References x
5.1. Advanced SEU Detection IP References 5.2. Fault Injection Debugger Software References
5.1. Advanced SEU Detection IP References x
5.1.1. Advanced SEU Detection IP Parameter Settings 5.1.2. Advanced SEU Detection IP Ports
5.2. Fault Injection Debugger Software References x
5.2.1. Fault Injection Debugger GUI Tool 5.2.2. Fault Injection Debugger Command-Line Interface
1. Agilex™ 3 SEU Mitigation Overview
2. Agilex™ 3 CRAM Error Mitigation
3. Secure Device Manager ECC Error Detection
4. Agilex™ 3 SEU Mitigation Implementation Guides
5. IP and Software References
6. Document Revision History for the SEU Mitigation User Guide: Agilex™ 3 FPGAs and SoCs

2.6.1. Fault Injection Debugger

Using the Fault Injection Debugger, you can inject random CRAM bit flips into the Agilex™ 3 FPGA during system operation. With these simulated SEU strikes, you can test, debug, and refine your design's SEU detection and recovery sequence.
Figure 6.  Fault Injection Debugger Overview Block Diagram for Agilex™ 3 Devices


Features of the Fault Injection Debugger:

  • Inject errors to safe predefined locations, a random location, or a specified region.
  • Report error information by reading the error message queue.

By default, the Fault Injection Debugger injects SEU errors to a list of predefined safe locations only—preventing injection into critical CRAM bits that may cause device damage. If you want to perform error injection to other locations, blow the FULL_SEU_FAULT_INJECTION fuse.

You can perform error injection only if you configure the LUTRAM as a LUT but not as a RAM. If you turn on the LUTRAM Checking option, the Fault Injection Debugger displays a warning message to indicate that the error injection occurs at the LUTRAM. Altera recommends that you add a .smh file for improved accuracy of LUTRAM checking.

Note: To use the Fault Injection Debugger, you require a licensed Quartus® Prime software with the "fault_injection_debugger_tool" feature (Fault Injection(D028)) in the license. To check if you have the feature in your license, from the Quartus® Prime software menu, select Assignment > Device. Click Device and Pin Options and then navigate to Error Detection CRC. If you can turn on Allow SEU fault injection, then you have the necessary license to use the Fault Injection Debugger tool.
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