Accurate Processor-level Wirelength Distribution Model for Technology Pathfinding Using a Modernized Interpretation of Rent’s Rule

Abstract

Faithful system-level modeling is vital to design and technology pathfinding, and requires accurate representation of interconnects. In this study, Rent’s rule is modernized to cater to advanced technology and design, and applied to derive a priori wirelength distribution models. Furthermore, a priori interconnect branching models are proposed to capture design constraints and their handling by the Electronic-Design-Automation tools. These interconnect branching models are embedded into the wire-length distribution models and validated against a suite of state-of-the-art commercial designs across technology nodes. Novel design-specific critical-path models are presented which capture trends in technology and microarchitecture, providing a reliable framework for future technology and design benchmarking.