Towards Dependable RISC-V Cores for Edge Computing Devices

The migration of the computation from the cloud into edge devices, i.e., Internet-of-Things (IoTs) devices, reduces the latency and the quantity of data flowing into the network. With the emerging open-source and customizable RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), cores based on such ISA are promising candidates for several application domains within the IoT family, such as automotive, Unnamed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), industrial automation, healthcare, agriculture etc., where power consumption, real-time execution, security and reliability are of highest importance. In this emerging new era of connected RISC-V IoT devices, mechanisms are needed for a reliable and secure execution, still meeting area, energy consumption and computation time constraints of edge devices. We propose three mechanisms towards this goal, i.e., (i) a Root of Trust module for post-quantum secure boot, (ii) hardware checkers against hardware trojan horses and microarchitectural side-channel attacks, and (iii) a fine-grained dual core lockstep mechanism for real-time error detection and correction. The paper illustrates the proposed mechanisms with related motivations and implications, as well as a discussion on future research directions.