Workshop on Failure and Uncertainty in Mixed-Signal Circuits and Systems, July 8-9, 2010 Arlington, VA

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The objective of this workshop is to explore and identify the critical research challenges in the area of the design of failure-resistant electronic mixed-signal circuits and systems. This area is of interest to insure sustained and increased reliability in health-related, transportation, high performance computing, and self-sustainable energy systems. One cause of reduced reliability is the increasing probability of device failure as feature sizes of integrated circuits are reduced. However, with the increased presence of analog circuits and components as parts of systems as well as the increased 3-D integration density, other reliability concerns arise. Besides the problem of reduced device reliability and increased parameter uncertainty, the complicated coupling between densely integrated components, circuits, packaging and sub-systems is often too complex to be fully considered in the design. Failure of such systems is not of the traditional pass/fail nature and might be caused by either design errors (or poor designs) or operational conditions. Instead, for mixed-signal components as well as for systems at the application level, there is more concern with graceful degradation, recovery from transient and permanent errors, and robust behavior at the system level. This suggests that an integrated approach incorporating all levels of the design hierarchy is necessary to provide reliability to the system user. This workshop will bring together a select group of experts in the relevant fields of mixed-signal circuit and system design, simulation, and testing. The workshop will assess research needs for ensuring resistance to failure in safety-critical areas including medical, transportation, and aerospace applications.