Reconfigurable Cluster-Based Networks-on-Chip for Application-Specific MPSoCs

In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable NoC in which a customized topology for a given application can be implemented. In this NoC, the nodes are grouped into some clusters interconnected by a reconfigurable communication infrastructure. The nodes inside a cluster are connected by a fixed topology. From the traffic management perspective, this structure benefits from the interesting characteristics of the mesh topology (efficient handling of local traffic where each node communicates with its neighbors), while avoids its drawbacks (the lack of short paths between remotely located nodes). We then present a design flow that maps the frequently communicating tasks of a given application into the same cluster and exploits the reconfigurable connections to set up appropriate inter-cluster links. The evaluation results show the power- and performance-efficiency of the proposed NoC.

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