Systems on chip (SOC) contain multiple concurrent applications with different time criticality (firm, soft, non real-time). As a result, they are often developed by different teams or companies, with different models of computation (MOC) such as dataflow, Kahn process networks (KPN), or time-triggered (TT). SOC functionality and (real-time) performance is verified after all applications have been integrated. In this paper we propose the CompSOC platform and design flows that offers a virtual execution platform per application, to allow independent design, verification, and execution . We introduce the composability and predictability concepts, why they help, and how they are implemented in the different resources of the CompSOC architecture. We define a design flow that allows real-time cyclo-static dataflow (CSDF) applications to be automatically mapped, verified, and executed. Mapping and analysis of KPN and TT applications is not automated but they do run composably in their allocated virtual platforms. Although most of the techniques used here have been published in isolation, this paper is the first comprehensive overview of the CompSOC approach. Moreover, three new case studies illustrate all claimed benefits: 1) An example firm-real-time CSDF H.263 decoder is automatically mapped and verified. 2) Applications with different models of computation (CSDF and TT) run composably. 3) Adaptive soft-real-time applications execute composably and can hence be verified independently by simulation.

As technology scales, the impact of process variation on the maximum supported frequency (FMAX) of individual cores in a multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) becomes more pronounced. Task allocation without variation-aware performance analysis can greatly compromise performance and lead to a significant loss in yield, defined as the percentage of manufactured chips satisfying the application timing requirement. We propose variation-aware task allocation for best-effort and real-time streaming applications modeled as task graphs. Our solutions are primarily based on the throughput requirement, which is the most important timing requirement in many real-time streaming applications.The four main contributions of this work are (1) distinguishing best-effort firm real-time and soft real-time application classes, which require different optimization criteria, (2) using dataflow graphs, which are well suited for modeling and analysis of streaming applications, we explicitly model task execution both in terms of clock cycles (which is independent of variation) and seconds (which does depend on the variation of the resource), which we connect by an explicit binding, (3) we present two optimization approaches, which give different improvement results at different costs, (4) we present both exhaustive and heuristic algorithms that implement the optimization approaches. Our variation-aware mapping algorithms are tested on models of seven real applications and are compared to mapping methods that are unaware of hardware variation. Our results demonstrate (1) improvements in the average performance (3% on average) for best-effort applications, and (2) for firm real-time and soft real-time applications, yield improvements of up to 27% with an average of 15%, showing the effectiveness of our approaches.

A bs tr act -As t echnology s cales , t he impact of proces s variat ion on the maximum supported frequency (FMAX) of individual cores in a MPSoC becomes more pronounced. Task allocation without variation-aware performance analysis can result in a significant loss in yield, defined as the number of manufactured chips satisfying the application timing requirement. We propose variation-aware task allocation for real-time streaming applications modeled as task graphs. Our solutions are primarily based on the throughput requirement, which is the most important timing requirement in many real-time streaming applications. The three main contributions of this paper are: 1) Using data flow graphs that are well-suited for modeling and analysis of real-time streaming applications, we explicitly model task execution both in terms of clock cycles (which is independent of variation) and seconds (which does depend on the variation of the resource), which we connect by an explicit binding. 2) We present two approaches for optimizing the yield. The approaches give different results at different costs. 3) We present exhaustive and heuristic algorithms that implement the optimization approaches. Our variation-aware mapping algorithms are tested on models of real applications, and are compared to the mapping methods that are unaware of hardware variation. Our results demonstrate yield improvements of up to 50% with an average of 31%, showing the effectiveness of our approaches.

Variability in the manufacturing process results in variation in the maximum supported frequency of individual cores in a Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MPSoC). This variation needs to be considered when performing statistical timing analysis in the system-level design. As our first contribution, we present a framework to estimate the probability distribution of application throughput (e.g. frames per second in video decoding) in a system with Voltage-Frequency Island (VFI) partitions in the presence of process variation. The novelty of the framework lies in the computation of the probability distribution of throughput, based on a user-specified set of clock-frequency levels per VFI domain considering both within-die and die-to-die variations of cores. As a second contribution, we provide a methodology to perform variation-aware partitioning of the cores of an MPSoC into VFIs for maximized timing yield (percentage of chips that satisfy a given throughput requirement). On a case study, we demonstrate how our methodology can be used by system designers for two purposes: 1) to make trade-offs between the number of VFI partitions (design cost) and timing yield; 2) to estimate the impact of reducing circuit design margins on the number of good dies on a wafer. We illustrate that the proposed variation-aware partitioning provides up to 18% improvements in the timing yield compared to a deterministic partitioning.

A novel approach for process variation detection (PVD) is proposed. Named "dynamic measurement", the proposed method is able to detect process corner type. Information on process variability is represented in digital signal (code). Use of such approach can exclude necessity of use of special measurement equipment or embedded test structures (ring oscillators, transistor arrays, etc.) during testing, thereby minimizing process variability evaluation time and cost. The proposed approach can further be improved for more detailed information on process corner/variation. In this paper, metaloxide-semiconductor (MOS) current-voltage characteristics are used to design a circuit based on the proposed approach. With the aid of this approach one can detect not only parameter variations of n or p-type transistors, but also their combinations, resistors, transistors with short channels.

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