Distributed diagnosis for homogeneous systems

This article presents a distributed fault-diagnosis algorithm for identifying faulty and fault-free units (processors, PEs, cells) in homogeneous systems. It is based on local comparison among units in a system and dissemination of the test results. Each unit performs comparison with its neighbors by using its own comparator. Unlike other approaches, the algorithm does not assume that diagnostic circuits are fault free. The algorithm is simple enough to be realized with small circuit overhead. The results are especially useful in locating faulty units in processor arrays implemented on a single chip or wafer. Computer simulation has shown that even for low unit yields, extremely high performance (fault coverage) can be obtained by adjusting algorithm parameters.