Generating ASIPs with reduced number of connections to the register-file

Yosi Ben Asher, Irina Lipov, Vladislav Tartakovsky, Dror Tiv

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

We propose automatic synthesis of application specific instruction set processors (ASIPs). We use pipeline execution of multi-op machine-instructions, e.g., ∗(reg1∗reg2) = (∗reg3)+ (∗reg4) (C-syntax) an instruction with three memory pipeline stages and two arithmetic stages. The problem is, for a given set of loops, to find a pipeline configuration and a multi-op ISA that maximizes the IPC (instructions per cycle) while minimizing the resource usage and the cost of interconnections to the register-file of the resulting CPU. The algorithm is based on finding an efficient cover of a large graph by a small set of convex sub-graphs gis that are consistent with a given set of pipeline units. Unlike previous works, gis are not synthesized to circuits that are executed in a co-processor mode but rather both gis and the rest of the program are executed by the same set of multiop pipeline units. In this way we eliminate the overhead associated with the co-processor mode of regular ASIPs but maintain high values of IPC of these ASIPs. Once the pipeline configuration and the cover g1 ∪ · ∪ gn = G has been computed the Verilog RTL of the corresponding CPU (extended with branch instructions) is generated and synthesized to FPGA. The results show that, for a set of selected kernels, the resulting ASIP (called Ocpu) obtains higher IPC values compare to an equivalent compilation to an ARM cpu while obtaining similar clock frequencies.

Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publicationProceedings - 2015 International Conference on Embedded Computer Systems
Subtitle of host publicationArchitectures, Modeling and Simulation, SAMOS 2015
EditorsLuigi Carro, Dimitrios Soudris
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages238-245
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781467373111
DOIs
StatePublished - 22 Dec 2015
Event15th International Conference on Embedded Computer Systems: Architectures, Modeling and Simulation, SAMOS 2015 - Samos, Greece
Duration: 20 Jul 201523 Jul 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings - 2015 International Conference on Embedded Computer Systems: Architectures, Modeling and Simulation, SAMOS 2015

Conference

Conference15th International Conference on Embedded Computer Systems: Architectures, Modeling and Simulation, SAMOS 2015
Country/TerritoryGreece
CitySamos
Period20/07/1523/07/15

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Modelling and Simulation

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