Network-on-Chip Multicast Routing with Exclusion Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Efficient data sharing and synchronization among cores in multicore processors for artificial neural network execution is challenging, particularly with large quantities of network data, requiring sophisticated communication architectures to manage data exchange without bottlenecks and minimize latency.
Innovation Solution
A network of computational nodes uses multicast messages to distribute data efficiently, addressing nodes by reference to grid locations and applying exclusion criteria to optimize routing, minimizing transmissions and reducing processing overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If multicast messages are used to distribute data to multiple destination nodes, then communication efficiency is improved and bandwidth is saved, but routing complexity increases due to the need to manage addressed nodes and exclusion criteria
Solution Approach 1:
The multicast routing process is segmented into distinct components: origin nodes generate multicast messages with exclusion criteria, intermediate nodes forward messages based on routing tables, and destination nodes process or exclude messages based on their address and exclusion criteria. This segmentation allows each node to perform specialized functions, reducing overall routing complexity while maintaining efficient bandwidth utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multicast routing tables as intermediary structures that store pre-computed routing information. These tables act as mediators between the complex exclusion criteria and the actual message forwarding decisions, simplifying the routing process by pre-processing the exclusion logic and storing it in easily queryable table structures.
2Productivity
If exclusion criteria are applied to skip certain nodes in the multicast path, then processing overhead is reduced, but message propagation paths become more complex to manage
Solution Approach 1:
Exclusion criteria are applied in advance when constructing multicast routing tables, before actual message transmission occurs. The origin node pre-calculates which nodes should be excluded from receiving messages and encodes this information in the routing tables. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time decisions at each node, reducing processing overhead during actual message propagation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation of exclusion criteria from complex node-by-node specifications to compact encoded values stored in routing tables. By transforming the exclusion criteria into a different parameter format (encoded exclusion patterns), the system reduces processing complexity while maintaining the ability to efficiently skip specific nodes in the multicast path.
3Productivity
If grid-based addressing is used instead of individual node addresses, then addressing efficiency is improved, but the network topology requirements become more restrictive
Solution Approach 1:
The grid-based addressing system is designed to be universal and can represent various network topologies through different grid configurations. The same addressing mechanism works for 2D grids, 3D grids, or other spatial arrangements, allowing the system to adapt to different physical network layouts while maintaining efficient addressing. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the addressing system topology-agnostic rather than restrictive.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for transmitting multicast messages through a network-on-chip device. Compact descriptions of target addressed nodes in the network can be included with each message for efficient routing. Sets of nodes to be excluded from receiving the message for further processing can also be specified and transmitted with each message, adding minimal overhead yet providing for great flexibility in routing processing workloads to appropriate nodes.