An improved hybrid network‐on‐chip with flexible topology and frugal routing

Abstract

This study proposes an improved Hybrid Network‐on‐Chip (HNoC) with a flexible topology and frugal routing. The key advantage is in terms of latency and saturation because of the optimal use of RF‐based wireless networks. The performance improvement is achieved by managing the communication resources through a radio bandwidth allocation algorithm and a frugal routing algorithm that optimizes RF consumption by choosing between wired and wireless networks. The architecture of a hybrid network‐on‐chip has been modeled in SystemC by extending IP from the SoCLib library and Noxim simulator. The distinction of the flexible topology is exhibited by an 11% reduced delay compared to the fixed topology and a 31% shorter delay compared to a wired mesh network for lower transaction rates. A 21% increase in saturation has also established the superiority of the frugal routing algorithm. The hybrid design can be useful in addressing the limitations of purely wireless design, and the frugal routing algorithm can be seen as a complex topology for increasing the size of on‐chip networks.