OCP-IP Introduces Open Network-on-Chip Benchmarks Initiative

BEAVERTON, Ore. — March 06, 2007 — OCP-IP today announced an initiative toward open Network on Chip (NoC) Benchmarking. A new white paper available from the organization outlines the need for a NoC benchmarking as well as the essential features of a NoC benchmarking environment, and drives toward establishing widely accepted and important benchmarks. The top-level view on a system of benchmarks for NoCs covers a variety of design aspects from application modeling to performance evaluation and post-manufacturing test and reliability.

The paper was developed by some of the world’s most prestigious universities working on NoC research including: University of British Columbia, Carnegie Melon University, Royal Institute of Technology, Tampere University of Technology and Washington State University.

A section on performance benchmarking specifically describes requirements and features for application programs, synthetic micro-benchmarks, and abstract benchmark applications. It then proposes ways to measure reliability, fault tolerance, and testability of the on-chip communication fabric.

"To date, comparing performance, cost, and other features of advanced multi-core systems on a chip is a significant challenge to the industry that has not been adequately addressed," said Andre Ivanov, professor University British Columbia and Co-founder of the OCP-IP NoC Benchmarking Working Group. "This initiative addresses the industry need in a comprehensive manner. It is a pleasure working with this productive group of some of the finest universities in the world."

“We are delighted to begin the sponsorship of this leadership effort of international experts from both the academic and industrial community in addressing this important aspect of SoC evolution,” said Ian Mackintosh, president OCP-IP.

During 2007 the paper will be followed by a report defining a benchmark framework and the syntax of interfaces for benchmark programs that will allow the community to build a benchmarking suite.

To download a copy of the NoC white paper, visit http://www.ocpip.org/socket/whitepapers/NoC-Benchmarks-WhitePaper-15.pdf

About OCP-IP

The OCP International Partnership Association, Inc. (OCP-IP), formed in 2001, promotes and supports the Open Core Protocol (OCP) as the complete socket standard ensuring rapid creation and integration of interoperable virtual components. OCP-IP's Governing Steering Committee participants include: Nokia [NYSE: NOK], Texas Instruments [NYSE: TXN], Toshiba Semiconductor Group (including Toshiba America TAEC), and Sonics. OCP-IP is a non-profit corporation delivering the first fully supported, openly licensed, core-centric protocol comprehensively fulfilling system-level integration requirements. The OCP facilitates IP core reusability and reduces design time, risk, and manufacturing costs for SoC designs. VSIA endorses the OCP socket, and OCP-IP is affiliated with VSIA. For additional background and membership information, visit www.OCPIP.org.