Interconnect modeling for improved system-level design optimization

Abstract

Accurate modeling of delay, power, and area of interconnections early in the design phase is crucial for effective system-level optimization. Models presently used in system-level optimizations, such as network-on-chip (NoC) synthesis, are inaccurate in the presence of deep-submicron effects. In this paper, we propose new, highly accurate models for delay and power in buffered interconnects; these models are usable by system-level designers for existing and future technologies. We present a general and transferable methodology to construct our models from a wide variety of reliable sources (Liberty, LEF/ITF, ITRS, PTM, etc.). The modeling infrastructure, and a number of characterized technologies, are available as open source. Our models comprehend key interconnect circuit and layout design styles, and a power-efficient buffering technique that overcomes unrealities of previous delay-driven buffering techniques. We show that our models are significantly more accurate than previous models for global and intermediate buffered interconnects in 90 nm and 65 nm foundry processes - essentially matching signoff analyses. We also integrate our models in the COSI-OCC synthesis tool and show that the more accurate modeling significantly affects optimal/achievable architectures that are synthesized by the tool. The increased accuracy provided by our models enables system-level designers to obtain better assessments of the achievable performance/power/area tradeoffs for (communication-centric aspects of) system design, with negligible setup and overhead burdens.