On-Chip Memory Profiler Circuit for Resource Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designers face challenges in efficiently utilizing on-chip RAM in integrated circuits due to lack of awareness of implementation details, leading to suboptimal timing, power consumption, and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a profiler circuit to monitor the address bus of the RAM and a debug circuit to generate and output usage data, allowing designers to refine the circuit design and optimize RAM resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If designers use default core parameters without fine-tuning, then design development time is reduced, but timing performance and resource utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by automatically performing memory access pattern analysis and core parameter optimization before the designer finalizes the design. The system proactively instruments the design, collects usage data, and determines optimal parameters without waiting for manual analysis, thus resolving the contradiction between quick development and optimal resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically analyzing memory access patterns and determining optimized core parameters without requiring designer intervention. The design instrumentation and analysis process operates autonomously, allowing the system to serve itself in optimizing parameters while the designer focuses on high-level design tasks.
2Device complexity
If designers lack knowledge of core implementation details, then design complexity is reduced, but power consumption and resource utilization increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that bridges the gap between designer simplicity and optimization expertise. The automated analysis tool acts as a mediator that handles the complex task of memory access pattern analysis and parameter optimization, allowing designers to work at a high level while the intermediary system ensures optimal power and resource usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by automatically collecting memory usage data from instrumented designs and using this information to determine optimized core parameters. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that power consumption and resource utilization are minimized based on actual usage patterns, without requiring designers to have specialized knowledge.
3Quantity of substance
If on-chip RAM size is increased to ensure sufficient capacity, then memory resource availability is improved, but power consumption and resource utilization efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically determining the optimal memory capacity based on actual access patterns. Instead of using a fixed large memory size, the system analyzes usage data to identify the minimum required capacity that satisfies all design requirements, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency while maintaining sufficient memory availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system avoids excessive action by not allocating full RAM capacity unnecessarily. Instead, it performs partial action by allocating only the portion of memory that is actually needed based on access pattern analysis, thus improving resource utilization efficiency while ensuring sufficient capacity for all required operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Determining on-chip memory access patterns can include modifying a circuit design to include a profiler circuit for a random-access memory (RAM) of the circuit design, wherein the profiler circuit is configured to monitor an address bus of the RAM, and modifying the circuit design to include a debug circuit connected to the profiler circuit. Usage data for the RAM can be generated by detecting, using the profiler circuit, addresses of the RAM accessed during a test of the circuit design, as implemented in an integrated circuit. The usage data for the RAM can be output using the debug circuit.