On-Chip Communication Architectures

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CHAPTER

Over the past few years, the idea of using networks-on-chip (NoCs) as viable on-

chip communication fabrics for future multiprocessor systems-on-chips (MPSoCs)

has been gaining traction. NoCs are an attempt to scale down the concepts of large-

scale networks, and apply them to the embedded system-on-chip (SoC) domain.

Unlike traditional bus-based on-chip communication architectures, NoCs use pack-

ets to route data from the source to the destination component, via a network fab-

ric that consists of switches (routers) and interconnection links (wires). An example

of a NoC system is illustrated in Fig. 12.1 . The fi gure shows an NoC interconnection ...