skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Statistical RF/Analog Integrated Circuit Design Using Combinatorial Randomness for Hardware Security Applications
While integrated circuit technologies keep scaling aggressively, analog, mixed-signal, and radio-frequency (RF) circuits encounter challenges by creating robust designs in advanced complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) processes with the diminishing voltage headroom. The increasing random mismatch of smaller feature sizes in leading-edge technology nodes severely limit the benefits of scaling for (RF)/analog circuits. This paper describes the details of the combinatorial randomness by statistically selecting device elements that relies on the significant growth in subsets number of combinations. The randomness can be utilized to provide post-manufacturing reconfiguration of the selectable circuit elements to achieve required specifications for ultra-low-power systems. The calibration methodology is demonstrated with an ultra-low-voltage chaos-based true random number generator (TRNG) for energy-constrained Internet of things (IoT) devices in the secure communications.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1953801
PAR ID:
10155240
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Mathematics
Volume:
8
Issue:
5
ISSN:
2227-7390
Page Range / eLocation ID:
829
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. This paper presents a design approach for the modeling and simulation of ultra-low power (ULP) analog computing machine learning (ML) circuits for seizure detection using EEG signals in wearable health monitoring applications. In this paper, we describe a new analog system modeling and simulation technique to associate power consumption, noise, linearity, and other critical performance parameters of analog circuits with the classification accuracy of a given ML network, which allows to realize a power and performance optimized analog ML hardware implementation based on diverse application-specific needs. We carried out circuit simulations to obtain non-idealities, which are then mathematically modeled for an accurate mapping. We have modeled noise, non-linearity, resolution, and process variations such that the model can accurately obtain the classification accuracy of the analog computing based seizure detection system. Noise has been modeled as an input-referred white noise that can be directly added at the input. Device process and temperature variations were modeled as random fluctuations in circuit parameters such as gain and cut-off frequency. Nonlinearity was mathematically modeled as a power series. The combined system level model was then simulated for classification accuracy assessments. The design approach helps to optimize power and area during the development of tailored analog circuits for ML networks with the ability to potentially trade power and performance goals while still ensuring the required classification accuracy. The simulation technique also enables to determine target specifications for each circuit block in the analog computing hardware. This is achieved by developing the ML hardware model, and investigating the effect of circuit nonidealities on classification accuracy. Simulation of an analog computing EEG seizure detection block shows a classification accuracy of 91%. The proposed modeling approach will significantly reduce design time and complexity of large analog computing systems. Two feature extraction approaches are also compared for an analog computing architecture. 
    more » « less
  2. null (Ed.)
    Similar to digital circuits, analog and mixed-signal (AMS) circuits are also susceptible to supply-chain attacks, such as piracy, overproduction, and Trojan insertion. However, unlike digital circuits, the supply-chain security of AMS circuits is less explored. In this work, we propose to perform "logic-locking" on the digital section of the AMS circuits. The idea is to make the analog design intentionally suffer from the effects of process variations, which impede the operation of the circuit. Only on applying the correct key, the effect of process variations are mitigated, and the analog circuit performs as desired. To this end, we render certain components in the analog circuit configurable. We propose an analysis to dictate which components need to be configurable to maximize the effect of an incorrect key. We conduct our analysis on the bandpass filter (BPF), low-noise amplifier (LNA), and low-dropout voltage regulator LDO) for both correct and incorrect keys to the locked optimizer. We also show experimental results for our technique on a BPF. We also analyze the effect of aging on our locking technique to ensure the reliability of the circuit with the correct key. 
    more » « less
  3. null (Ed.)
    Analog/RF performance locking techniques insert configurable components to obfuscate the biasing or the design parameters of the secured analog block. The locked circuit meets the specifications only under a specific configuration decided by the correct common key, shared by all chip instances of the same design. Key provisioning enables the design of distinct user keys for individual chip instances. This area has received little research attention, and a naive approach yields large area overhead when increasing the key size. We propose a new approach based on a Schmitt trigger (ST) circuit with configurable hysteresis. The proposed key provisioning is compatible with existing analog locking techniques and has a constant area overhead regardless of key size. This approach is tested with three analog/RF circuits to demonstrate its area scalability and effectiveness on security. 
    more » « less
  4. Vector-matrix multiplication (VMM) is a core operation in many signal and data processing algorithms. Previous work showed that analog multipliers based on nonvolatile memories have superior energy efficiency as compared to digital counterparts at low-to-medium computing precision. In this paper, we propose extremely energy efficient analog mode VMM circuit with digital input/output interface and configurable precision. Similar to some previous work, the computation is performed by gate-coupled circuit utilizing embedded floating gate (FG) memories. The main novelty of our approach is an ultra-low power sensing circuitry, which is designed based on translinear Gilbert cell in topological combination with a floating resistor and a low-gain amplifier. Additionally, the digital-to-analog input conversion is merged with VMM, while current-mode algorithmic analog-to-digital circuit is employed at the circuit backend. Such implementations of conversion and sensing allow for circuit operation entirely in a current domain, resulting in high performance and energy efficiency. For example, post-layout simulation results for 400×400 5-bit VMM circuit designed in 55 nm process with embedded NOR flash memory, show up to 400 MHz operation, 1.68 POps/J energy efficiency, and 39.45 TOps/mm2 computing throughput. Moreover, the circuit is robust against process-voltage-temperature variations, in part due to inclusion of additional FG cells that are utilized for offset compensation. 
    more » « less
  5. Carbon nanotube (CNT) field-effect transistors (CNFETs) promise significant energy efficiency benefits versus today's silicon-based FETs. Yet despite this promise, complementary (CMOS) CNFET analog circuitry has never been experimentally demonstrated. Here we show the first reported demonstration of full CNFET CMOS analog circuits. For characterization, we fabricate analog building block circuits: multiple instances of two-stage op-amps. These CNFET CMOS op-amps achieve gain >700 (maximum derivative of output voltage with respect to differential input voltage), operate at a scaled sub- 500 mV supply voltage, achieve high linearity (even when operating at these scaled voltages), and are robust over time (minimal drift over >10,000 cycled measurements over 12 hours). Additionally, we demonstrate a front-end analog sub-system that integrates a CNFET-based breath sensor with an analog sensor interface circuit (transimpedance amplifier followed by a voltage follower to convert resistance change of the chemoresistive CNFET sensor into a buffered output voltage). These experimental demonstrations are the first reports of CNFET CMOS analog functionality that is essential for a future CNT CMOS technology. 
    more » « less