Microprocessor entomology: a taxonomy of design faults in COTS microprocessors

The rapid increase of the complexity of high-performance COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) microprocessors has led to continuing post-design discoveries of numerous design faults, called "errata" by the manufacturers. This paper presents a systematic framework, the Design Fault Taxonomy, for the study of such design faults. Based on the proposed methodology, an in-depth analysis of design faults uncovered in the Intel Pentium II microprocessor since its initial release is presented in detail. The results raise concerns about the use of such processors in high-confidence systems and point to potential solutions.