Formal Semantics of Predictable Pipelines: A Comparative Study

Author(s): Mathieu Jan, Mihail Asavoae, Martin Schoeberl, and Edward A. Lee

Abstract
Computer architectures used in safety-critical domains are subjected to worst-case execution time analysis. The presence of performance-driven microarchitectures may trigger undesired timing phenomena, called timing anomalies, and complicate the timing analysis. This paper investigates pipelines specifically designed to simplify the worst-case execution time analysis (also called predictable pipelines). We propose formal and executable models of four research-oriented pipelines and one industrial pipeline to validate some of their claims related to their timing behavior. We indeed validate, via bounded model checking, the absence of a type of timing anomalies called amplification timing anomalies, or its potential presence by identifying prerequisite to situations where they can occur.

Electronic Downloads

• https://doi.org/10.1109/ASP-DAC47756.2020.9045351

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Citation Formats

• APA
  

                  
  Mathieu Jan, Mihail Asavoae, Martin Schoeberl, and Edward A. Lee. (2020). Formal Semantics of Predictable Pipelines: A Comparative Study. In 25th Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference.                       
                  
                  

• MLA
  

                  
  Mathieu Jan, Mihail Asavoae, Martin Schoeberl, and Edward A. Lee. "Formal Semantics of Predictable Pipelines: A Comparative Study." 25th Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference, 2020.                       
                  
                  

• Chicago
  

                  
  Mathieu Jan, Mihail Asavoae, Martin Schoeberl, and Edward A. Lee. "Formal Semantics of Predictable Pipelines: A Comparative Study." 25th Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference, 2020.                       
                  
                  

• BibTeX
  

                      
  @inproceedings{JanEtAl:20:Pipelines,
  	author = {Mathieu Jan, Mihail Asavoae, Martin Schoeberl, and Edward A. Lee},
  	title = {Formal Semantics of Predictable Pipelines: A Comparative Study},
  	booktitle = {25th Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference},
  	month = {January 13-16},
  	year = {2020},
  	abstract = {Computer architectures used in safety-critical domains are subjected to worst-case execution time analysis. The presence of performance-driven microarchitectures may trigger undesired timing phenomena, called timing anomalies, and complicate the timing analysis. This paper investigates pipelines specifically designed to simplify the worst-case execution time analysis (also called predictable pipelines). We propose formal and executable models of four research-oriented pipelines and one industrial pipeline to validate some of their claims related to their timing behavior. We indeed validate, via bounded model checking, the absence of a type of timing anomalies called amplification timing anomalies, or its potential presence by identifying prerequisite to situations where they can occur.},
  	URL = {https://doi.org/10.1109/ASP-DAC47756.2020.9045351}}