Abstract: Today's computer systems are mostly built with volatile memory components such as flip- flops, SRAM, and SDRAM, except for secondary non-volatile storage. As a result, traditional computer systems quickly lose information stored in memory if the power supply is interrupted even for a short period of time. Unfortunately, such volatile devices present significant limitations for computations on embedded cyber-physical systems that have to rely on unreliable power sources.

Abstract

This project aims to develop a new computing device where non-volatile elements based on flash (floating gate) transistors are pervasively used in all levels of the memory hierarchy to enable almost instantaneous check pointing and recovery of program state not subject to the data bus bandwidth limit. Effectively, this new system allows its power source to be cut off at any time, and yet resumes regular operation without loss of information when the power comes back.