Program

Professor Simon Collart-Dutilleul

COSYS Department, ESTAS Laboratory, University Gustave Eiffel, Lille, France.

Title: Transport networks  as an instance of time safety critical distributed system.

Abstract: Modelling transport networks as an interconnected system of systems is used to formalize a multimodal approach from a Crisis Management (CM) perspective. Europe among others is, has and will be subject to terrorist attacks. The 2015 one in Brussels showed a clear strategy of simultaneous attacks on several modes of Transport: aviation, subway and later on railway (Thalys attack). This is one of the core assumptions Therefore, a collaboration in crisis management for multimodal Transport and a methodological process revision of Transport security Framework and security procedure need to be developed. The approach's rationale is to reinforce multimodal security procedures in order to set the ground for a multimode crisis management strategy and framework. A demonstrator, based on reliable industrial tools, is a planned outcome of the project. Crisis management in sets of infrastructures, including an airport and terrestrial transports leads to considering passenger flow management as a critical task. Taking advantage of various transport modes characteristics while communicating efficiently for the sake of collaborating actions is the main functional target. There is a clear intention to integrate both cyber and physical attacks, as tampered information may be enough to create a danger, because of passenger overcrowding at a given point. The potential contribution of simulation tools for identifying extremal values characterizing a safe functioning for a given infrastructure. Then the functioning margins of the interconnected transport systems allow for demonstrating some robustness properties. From this robustness range, common safety strategies may be defined.

Speaker's Biography: Simon Collart-Dutilleul is a doctor at the University of Savoie until 1997. He became assistant professor of École-Centrale of Lille in 1999, and was in charge of the teaching section "Information Systems"  in the IG2I engineering school of this institute until 2006. In 2012 he became a fool time researcher, as a research professor, in an institute that will become the University Gustave Eiffel. His research domain is software engineering for critical systems, but most of the application results are in the railway domain. He is an ERTMS expert on railway transports and a member of the ISO TC 184 committee of the AFNOR (normative French Association). He provides some conformity assessment, as a technical expert, to the national accreditation body in the domain of transport concerning the norm 17025 for test laboratories. He is the president of the steering committee of the RSSRAIL international conference (Reliability, Safety and Security of Railway Systems) and has participated in the organisation of 5 international conferences as PC Chair or general chair. Simon Collart-Dutilleul supervised 15 Ph.D. students and is the author or co-author of more than 170 scientific papers.

Professor Otmane Ait Mohamed

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Concordia University, Qc, Canada.

Title: From Single Event Multiple Transient Analysis in Digital Circuits using Satisfiability Modulo Theories to High-Level Assessment of Soft Fault Resilience in Cyber-Physical Systems.

Abstract: In this presentation, we will explore the critical need for dependable and safe digital systems, particularly in complex, safety-critical applications exposed to hazardous environments. Current methods for evaluating these systems often struggle due to inherent limitations, such as state-explosion issues and the high costs associated with simulation and physical testing. Our work introduces an innovative, system-level methodology designed to assess Single Event Upsets (SEUs) within cyber-physical systems. This approach thoroughly analyzes SEU propagation, logical error masking, and system vulnerabilities, enabling the identification of critical components and the evaluation of various mitigation strategies, such as Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR), to enhance system resilience. Beyond system-level assessment, our methodology provides component-level analysis, enabling precise identification of criticality sources and evaluation of internal mitigation techniques. This dual-layer analysis facilitates a comprehensive evaluation, empowering designers to implement efficient, fault-tolerant solutions that significantly enhance system robustness. Moreover, we address the unique reliability challenges integrated circuits face in space environments due to high-energy ionizing particles, like cosmic ray neutrons. These particles can cause transient disturbances, known as Single Event Transients (SETs), in circuit outputs, potentially resulting in soft errors when captured in state elements. With advancements in CMOS technology, the miniaturization of semiconductor devices has heightened their susceptibility to radiation-induced errors, even from lower-energy particles. This also contributes to the occurrence of Single Event Multiple Transients (SEMTs), which complicate Soft Error Rate (SER) estimation. To address this, we introduce a novel technique utilizing Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) to model SEMTs in digital circuits. This technique accounts for layout-based adjacency and masking effects during SEMT fault propagation. Applied to ISCAS’85 benchmark circuits and the LEON3 processor, our method achieves an average 12.64x speed-up in SER estimation compared to traditional fault injection simulations, offering a more efficient and scalable solution for reliable system design.

Speaker's Biography:  Dr. Otmane Ait Mohamed’s primary research areas include model checking, assertion-based verification, automatic test generation, and FPGA-based design and verification. Recently, he has embarked on a new research direction focusing on the effects of radiation on electronic circuits for aerospace and medical applications. His work leverages formal techniques to analyze the reliability and performance of these systems, with numerous peer-reviewed publications already in these domains. He is also a co-investigator on a major National Defence Canada project related to the cybersecurity of Cooperative Autonomous Networked Unmanned Vehicles (CANUMV). This collaborative project involves four academic institutions, four industrial partners, and two government agencies, where Dr. Ait Mohamed’s primary contribution centers on ensuring high assurance and certifiability of CANUMV assets. Dr. Ait Mohamed maintains collaborations with industry leaders such as AMD, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm, as well as with esteemed research institutions like the ETIS Laboratory in Toulouse, CY Cergy Paris University, and the TIMA Laboratory. Additionally, he serves on the executive committee of the Strategic Group in Microsystems of Quebec (ReSMiQ). His contributions extend beyond research, as he has played a pivotal role in organizing several international conferences and has provided expert guidance and served as a referee for numerous research organizations and academic institutions.