Tracking Fmax Degradation of a RISC-V CPU with Synthesizable Odometer Aging Sensors

This work presents a test chip called RARE, that integrates a RISC-V CPU with an array of beat-frequency odometer aging sensors, demonstrating the odometer's capability to track CPU performance degradation due to aging effects. The CPU's maximum frequency degradation was measured under accelerated stress conditions. Experimental results from high voltage and high temperature stress across various threshold voltages confirm the odometer's effectiveness in monitoring CPU aging. These findings offer key perspectives on how aging degradation, as characterized by the odometer, can predict timing failures and estimate the operational lifespan of CPU designs in specific technologies.