Deadlock free routing algorithms for irregular mesh topology NoC systems with rectangular regions

The simplicity of regular mesh topology Network on Chip (NoC) architecture leads to reductions in design time and manufacturing cost. A weakness of the regular shaped architecture is its inability to efficiently support cores of different sizes. A proposed way in literature to deal with this is to utilize the region concept, which helps to accommodate cores larger than the tile size in mesh topology NoC architectures. Region concept offers many new opportunities for NoC design, as well as provides new design issues and challenges. One of the most important among these is the design of an efficient deadlock free routing algorithm. Available adaptive routing algorithms developed for regular mesh topology cannot ensure freedom from deadlocks. In this paper, we list and discuss many new design issues which need to be handled for designing NoC systems incorporating cores larger than the tile size. We also present and compare two deadlock free routing algorithms for mesh topology NoC with regions. The idea of the first algorithm is borrowed from the area of fault tolerant networks, where a network topology is rendered irregular due to faults in routers or links, and is adapted for the new context. We compare this with an algorithm designed using a methodology for design of application specific routing algorithms for communication networks. The application specific routing algorithm tries to maximize adaptivity by using static and dynamic communication requirements of the application. Our study shows that the application specific routing algorithm not only provides much higher adaptivity, but also superior performance as compared to the other algorithm in all traffic cases. But this higher performance for the second algorithm comes at a higher area cost for implementing network routers.     

多优先级自适应片上网络路由算法设计

提出一种适用于二维网格结构的片上网络(NoC)路由算法,该算法具有自适应性与最短路径的特点.采用多种优先级对数据进行裁决并传输,能提高系统的吞吐量,降低网络延迟.通过采用NIRGAM仿真平台对算法进行仿真,在4×4网格结构下,与其他NoC路由算法进行性能对比,结果显示该算法在热点模式下具有优势.     

三维片上网络研究综述

三维片上网络以其更短的全局互连、更高的封装密度、更小的体积等诸多优势,已引起国内外学术界和产业界的高度重视.对三维片上网络的研究,将直接影响一个国家未来三维集成电路和三维芯片产业的发展,也关系到国家安全.近年来,三维片上网络逐渐成为片上网络研究领域的一个重要方向,已取得了许多研究进展,但仍然存在许多挑战性的课题.对三维片上网络的基本问题作了简介;分析了三维片上网络在国内外的研究现状;讨论了三维片上网络研究中的关键问题,归纳出网络拓扑结构、路由机制、性能评估、通信容错、功耗、映射、测试、交换技术、服务质量、流量控制、资源网络接口等12类研究课题;分类综述了关键问题的研究进展;分析了三维片上网络存在的问题;指出,在三维片上网络拓扑结构方面:个性化拓扑结构设计、仿真平台研究开发、基于新型拓扑结构的三维芯片样片试制以及无线技术的引入等,在路由算法方面:适合3D Torus的路由算法、结合无关路由与自适应路由算法优点的新路由算法、适合各种新型拓扑结构的高效路由算法等,在性能评估方面:永久故障的容错、改进仿真程序增加对物理链路的建模、充分考虑通信的局部性等,在功耗方面:对拓扑结构/映射算法/路由算法和布局进行综合优化、动态和静态控制相结合、更为精确的3D NoC功耗模型等,在映射方面:发热均匀性、动态路由策略下映射评估模型的优化、低功耗映射算法、基于优化算法的组合映射等,都将是三维片上网络未来的重要研究课题.     

Performance evaluation of mesh-based NoCs: Implementation of a new architecture and routing algorithm

This paper presents the result of experiments conducted in mesh networks on different routing algorithms, traffic generation schemes and switching schemes. A new network on chip (NoC) topology based on partial interconnection of mesh network is proposed and a routing algorithm supporting the proposed architecture is developed. The proposed architecture is similar to standard mesh networks, where four extra bidirectional channels are added which remove the congestion and hotspots compared to standard mesh networks with fewer channels. Significant improvement in delay (60% reduction) and throughput (60% increase) was observed using the proposed network and routing when compared with the ideal mesh networks. An increase in number of channels makes the switches expensive and could increase the area and power consumption. However, the proposed network can be useful in high speed applications with some compromise on area and power.     

基于拥塞控制的片上网络多播路由算法

为了满足片上网络日益丰富的应用要求,多播路由机制被应用到片上网络,以弥补传统单播通信方式的不足。以Mesh和Torus类的片上网络为例,分析了基于路径的3种多播路由算法(即XY路由、UpDown路由和SubPartition路由算法),并研究了相应的拥塞控制策略。通过模拟实验表明,多播较单播通信具有更小的平均传输延时和更高的网络吞吐量,且负载分配均匀;特别是SubPartition路由算法随着规模增大效果更加明显;提出的多播拥塞控制机制,能更有效地利用多播通信,提高片上网络的性能。     

一种基于气泡流控的改进多播路由算法

多播通信在片上多核系统中占据很重要的地位,并会对多核系统上并行应用程序的性能产生很大影响。现有的多播路由算法大多存在资源利用不均衡的不足,从而导致片上缓存资源的利用率较低。提出一种新的基于气泡流控的多播路由算法,该方法充分利用了片上网络的缓存资源,并通过向网络注入气泡避免了死锁现象的产生。实验表明,该方法可以有效提高片上网络中多播通信的性能,在合成负载下,该方法相对于均衡自适应多播路由算法可以实现18.1%的网络平均时延的降低以及16.7%的网络饱和吞吐量的增加。     

一种用于片上网络的拥塞感知哈密尔顿最短路径路由算法

类脑处理器能够支持多种脉冲神经网络SNN的部署来完成多种任务。片上网络NoC能够用较少的资源和功耗解决片上复杂的互连通信问题。现有的类脑处理器多采用片上网络来连接多个神经元核,以支持神经元之间的通信。SNN在时间步内瞬时突发的通信会在短时间内产生大量的脉冲报文。在这种通信行为下,片上网络会在短时间内达到饱和,造成网络拥塞。片上网络中非拥塞感知路由算法会进一步加剧网络拥塞状态,如何在每一个时间步内有效处理这些数据包,从而降低网络延迟,提高吞吐率,成为了目前需要解决的问题。首先对SNN的瞬时猝发通信特性进行了分析;然后提出一种拥塞感知的哈密尔顿路径路由算法,以降低NoC平均延迟和提高吞吐率;最后,使用Verilog HDL实现该路由算法,并通过模拟仿真进行性能评估。在网络规模为16×16的2D Mesh结构的片上网络中,相对于没有拥塞感知的路由算法,在数量猝发模式和概率猝发模式下,所提出的拥塞感知路由算法的NoC平均延迟分别降低了13.9%和15.9%;吞吐率分别提高了21.6%和16.8%。     

Application Specific Routing Algorithms for Networks on Chip

In this paper we present a methodology to develop efficient and deadlock free routing algorithms for Network-on-Chip (NoC) platforms which are specialized for an application or a set of concurrent applications. The proposed methodology, called Application Specific Routing Algorithm (APSRA), exploits the application specific information regarding pairs of cores which communicate and other pairs which never communicate in the NoC platform to maximize communication adaptivity and performance. The methodology also exploits the known information regarding concurrency/non-concurrency of communication transactions among cores for the same purpose. We demonstrate, through analysis of adaptivity as well as simulation based evaluation of latency and throughput, that algorithms produced by the proposed methodology give significantly higher performance as compared to other deadlock free algorithms for both homogeneous as well as heterogeneous 2D mesh topology NoC systems. For example, for homogeneous mesh NoC, APSRA results in approximately 30% less average delay as compared to Odd-Even algorithm just below saturation load. Similarly the saturation load point for APSRA is significantly higher as compared to other adaptive routing algorithms for both homogeneous and non-homogeneous mesh networks.     

片上网络路由算法分析与评估

本文对片上网络中的确定性XY路由算法和基于拐弯模型的4种自适应路由算法进行分析,并采用Noxim模拟器在6种合成通信模式下对5种路由算法的性能进行评估。实验结果表明,在均匀随机通信模式下,XY路由算法的性能优于自适应路由算法;在置换1和混洗通信模式下,奇偶路由算法的性能优于其他路由算法;在置换2、位反和蝶形通信模式下,负向优先路由算法的性能优于其他路由算法。     

虚网叠加构造自适应路由算法的有效框架

大规模并行处理机系统中路由算法对互联网络通信性能和系统性起着重要作用。     

2D Mesh片上网络分区容错路由算法

为了减小路由表的规模且避免使用较多虚通道(VC),从而降低硬件资源用量,针对虫孔交换的2D Mesh片上网络提出了一种分区容错路由(RFTR)算法。该算法根据故障节点和链路的位置将2D Mesh网络划分为若干个相连的矩形区域,数据包在矩形区域内可使用确定性或自适应路由算法进行路由,而在区域间则按照up^*/down^*算法确定路由路径。此外,利用通道依赖图(CDG)模型,证明了该算法仅需两个虚通道就能避免死锁。在6×6 Mesh网络中,RFTR算法能减少25%的路由表资源用量。仿真结果表明,在队列缓存资源相同的情况下,RFTR算法能实现与up^*/down^*算法和segment算法相当甚至更优的性能。     

The 2D digraph-based NoCs: attractive alternatives to?the 2D mesh NoCs

This paper proposes two-dimensional directed graphs (or digraphs for short) as a promising alternative to the popular 2D mesh topology for networks-on-chip (NoCs). Mesh is the most popular topology for the NoCs, mainly due to its suitability for on-chip implementation and low cost. However, the fact that a digraph offers a lower diameter than its equivalent linear array of equal cost motivated us to evaluate digraphs as the underlying topology of NoCs. This paper introduces a family of NoC topologies based on three well-known digraphs, namely de Bruijn, shuffle-exchange, and Kautz. We study topological properties of the proposed topologies. We show that the proposed digraph-based topologies have several attractive features including constant node degree, low diameter and cost, and low zero load latency which result in superior performance over the mesh. We introduce a deadlock-free routing algorithm for the proposed NoC topologies and compare NoCs employing the proposed topologies and the mesh topology in terms of power consumption and performance. Simulation results also reveal that the proposed NoC topologies offer higher performance and consume lower power than the mesh NoC.     

面向应用的NoC带宽感知路由技术

片上互连网络是片上通信问题的有效解决方案,但存在严重的资源限制。标准拓扑结构难以满足应用的流量需求,同时还导致大量功耗和面积的开销。适用于通用系统的NoC设计难以满足面向服务质量可预测的互连。给出一种面向应用的带宽感知路由技术,针对具体的应用,首先使用基于遗传算法的映射技术获得IP核到网络节点的最佳映射,然后通过带宽感知的路由算法为网络中的每条数据传输生成最短路由,并通过虚信道静态分配保证该路由是无死锁的。为了减少路由表的硬件开销,还结合使用了路由表压缩的方法。仿真结果表明,所提出的路由技术与现有的路由算法相比,具有更好的时延性能。     

LCFAA:一个低代价的完全自适应路由算法

大规模并行处理机系统（ＭＰＰ）中路由算法对互联网络通信性能和系统性能起着重要作用。自适应路由算法具有灵活性好、网络的通道利用率高和网络容错能力强等优点,但其实现难度较大,因而目前仅在少数ＭＰＰ系统中得以实现。文中在ｍｅｓｈ结构上提出了一个低代价无死锁的安全自适应最短虫孔路由算法ＬＣＦＡＡ,该算法所需虚通道数少,具有代价低、自适应性强的特点。文中证明了算法的无死锁、无活锁性和完全自适应性,并模拟验证     

基于报文检测的快速自适应NoC容错路由算法

传统的自适应片上网络(NoC)容错路由算法采用一步一比较的方式来确定最优端口, 未能有效降低传输延迟。根据数据包在2D Mesh NoC前若干连续的跳数内最优端口固定的特点, 提出了一种基于报文检测的快速(FPIB)自适应容错路由算法。算法采用跳步比较的方式来减少数据包的路由时间, 并使用模糊优先级策略来进行容错路由计算。实验结果表明, 与uLBDR容错路由算法相比, 该算法能有效地降低平均延迟, 且实现算法的硬件开销更低。     

无线传感mesh网络的分段地址分配策略及其路由

无线传感器网络中的设备具有能量、缓存空间、通信和计算能力受限的特点。因此,无线传感器网络路由算法需要具备低存储开销、低计算复杂度、无路由发现等特征。HiLow是一种分层路由协议,它完全符合上述特点,且比IEEE 802.15.5具有更好的路由特性。但HiLow存在一些不足,如地址利用率低、仅适用于小规模网络等,无法应用于如环境监测、动物保护等具有较多节点数量和较大网络规模的应用场景。提出了一种两段地址分配策略TFA,它将16位地址分成两段,前段地址用于全功能设备的地址分配,后段地址用于精简功能设备的地址分配。理论分析和数值仿真显示, 相比于HiLow,TFA具有更大的地址利用率和路由树最大深度,能够适用于更大规模的无线传感网络。分析了TFA的mesh路由优化特性,提出了基于TFA的mesh路由算法。仿真结果表明,基于TFA的mesh路由在存储空间使用和能耗等方面都优于IEEE 802.15.5。     

On an efficient NoC multicasting scheme in support of multiple applications running on irregular sub-networks

When a number of applications simultaneously running on a many-core chip multiprocessor (CMP) chip connected through network-on-chip (NoC), significant amount of on-chip traffic is one-to-many (multicast) in nature. As a matter of fact, when multiple applications are mapped onto an NoC architecture with applicable traffic isolation constraints, the corresponding sub-networks of these applications are mapped onto actually tend to be irregular. In the literature, multicasting for irregular topologies is supported through either multiple unicasting or broadcasting, which, unfortunately, results in overly high power consumption and/or long network latency. To address this problem, a simple, yet efficient hardware-based multicasting scheme is proposed in this paper. First, an irregular oriented multicast strategy is proposed. Literally, following this strategy, an irregular oriented multicast routing algorithm can be designed based on any regular mesh based multicast routing algorithm. One such algorithm, namely, Alternative Recursive Partitioning Multicasting (AL + RPM), is proposed based on RPM, which was designed for regular mesh topology originally. The basic idea of AL + RPM is to find the output directions following the basic RPM algorithm and then decide to replicate the packets to the original output directions or the alternative (AL) output directions based on the shape of the sub-network. The experiment results show that the proposed multicast AL + RPM algorithm can consume, on average, 14% and 20% less power than bLBDR (a broadcasting-based routing algorithm) and the multiple unicast scheme, respectively. In addition, AL + RPM has much lower network latency than the above two approaches. To incorporate AL + RPM into a baseline router to support multicasting, the area overhead is fairly modest, less than 5.5%.     

Fault-Tolerant Wormhole Routing with 2 Virtual Channels in Meshes

In wormhole meshes, a reliable routing is supposed to be deadlock-free and fault-tolerant. Many routing algorithms are able to tolerate a large number of faults enclosed by rectangular blocks or special convex, none of them, however, is capable of handling two convex fault regions with distance two by using only two virtual networks. In this paper, a fault-tolerant wormhole routing algorithm is presented to tolerate the disjointed convex faulty regions with distance two or no less, which do not contain any nonfaulty nodes and do not prohibit any routing as long as nodes outside faulty regions are connected in the mesh network. The processors＇ overlapping along the boundaries of different fault regions is allowed. The proposed algorithm, which routes the messages by X-Y routing algorithm in fault-free region, can tolerate convex fault-connected regions with only two virtual channels per physical channel, and is deadlock- and livelock-free. The proposed algorithm can be easily extended to adaptive routing.     

DTBR: A dynamic thermal-balance routing algorithm for Network-on-Chip

Network-on-Chip (NoC) replaces the traditional bus-based architecture to become the mainstream design methodology for future complex System-on-Chip (SoC). It introduces the principles of packet switching and interconnection network into SoC design, and achieves much better performance for its high bandwidth, scalability, reliability, etc. However, thermal problem, such as regional temperature differential and hotspot, is still one of the main designing constraints. This paper proposes a dynamic thermal-balance routing (DTBR) algorithm for Network-on-Chip, which can solve both of the two thermal problems. DTBR is a minimal adaptive routing algorithm based on an architectural thermal model. An efficient thermal-aware router is designed to implement the DTBR algorithm. According to the simulation results, the proposed DTBR algorithm can make the network thermal distribution more uniform and hotspot temperature is cut down about 20% in different traffic patterns. Moreover, DTBR will bring a profit for the performance of packet delay and network throughput compared with other routing algorithms.     

片上网络容错路由算法分析和评价

片上网络技术是借鉴并行分布式计算机及传统计算机网络的概念解决片上多核系统的通信问题。片上网络代替片上总线通信,解决了片上总线结构所引起的可扩展性、效率、面积、功耗等问题。然而,片上网络在数据传输过程中可能由于各种原因产生故障,因此片上网络可靠性研究是当前一个研究热点。首先总结了片上网络故障分类,比较和分析了当前片上网络容错算法并给出其优势和缺陷,最后对全文进行总结,并给出了片上网络容错算法的展望。