This paper introduces a new method to trace cycle-accurately the temporal behavior of on-chip signals while operating in-field. Current cycle-accurate schemes incur unacceptable amounts of data for logging, storage and processing.

The probability that a particular device is operational for a given duration, or reliability, is a dependability attribute and key metric for systems in critical applications. For example, systems for long-term autonomous exploration missions have to be operational during their complete mission. Other critical applications like banking, medical automotive or aerospace face similar reliability requirements that are only met by dependable systems. Traditional dependable systems, compared to their non-dependable counterparts, have three key issues: They are more expensive, consume more power, and provide less performance.