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Gana: A novel low-cost conflict-free NoC architecture

Published:03 July 2013Publication History
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Abstract

Similar to off-chip networks, current NoC architectures are based on the store and forward of uncoordinated end-to-end packet transmissions through autonomous buffered routers. However, the monolithic nature and the small physical dimensions of on chip networks open up the opportunity for much more tightly controlled architectures. We present GANA, a new Global Arbiter NoC Architecture. In GANA, the transmission of end-to-end data is timed by a global arbiter in a way that avoids any queuing in the network. The arbitration takes into account the complete transfer of the end-to-end packets through the entire network path, avoiding any intermediate queuing and hop-by-hop packet arbitration. Consequently, buffers and arbiters are no longer required in the routers, resulting in smaller area and low power consumption. It is demonstrated through detailed design and synthesis that the additional area of the central arbiter and the control path are negligible in comparison to the provided area saving. For example, an 8× 8 GANA consumes only 16% of the area of an equivalent autonomous NoC while providing a better end-to-end throughput. The end-to-end performance of GANA at high network loads is typically much better than in a distributed-control NOC, because resource contention and queuing in the network are avoided. This comes at the cost of a few percentage increase in latency at light loads due to the additional arbitration phase. GANA architecture combines the inherent benefits of a network (parallelism and spatial reuse of links) with the inherent benefits of high integration (global view of the system state, central control, and synchronization). The scalability of GANA is evaluated analytically, showing that it can be superior to fully-distributed networks in systems up to a size of about 100 modules manufactured in 45nm technology, which can be used today as well as in the foreseeable future.

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