Article

Key features of the design methodology enabling a multi-core SoC implementation of a first-generation CELL processor

ASP-DAC '06: Proceedings of the 2006 Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference

Pages 871 - 878

https://doi.org/10.1145/1118299.1118497

Published: 24 January 2006 Publication History

Abstract

This paper reviews the design challenges that current and future processors must face, with stringent power limits and high frequency targets, and the design methods required to overcome the above challenges and address the continuing Giga-scale system integration trend. This paper then describes the details behind the design methodology that was used to successfully implement a first-generation CELL processor - a multi-core SoC. Key features of this methodology are broad optimization with fast rule-based analysis engines using macro-level abstraction for constraints propagation up/down the design hierarchy, coupled with accurate transistor level simulation for detailed analysis. The methodology fostered the modular design concept that is inherent to the CELL architecture, enabling a high frequency design by maximizing custom circuit content through re-use, and balanced power, frequency, and die size targets through global convergence capabilities. The design has roughly 241 million transistors implemented in 90nm SOI technology with 8 levels of copper interconnects and one local interconnect layer. The chip has been tested at various temperatures, voltages, and frequencies. Correct operation has been observed in the lab on first pass silicon at frequencies well over 4GHz.

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Index Terms

Key features of the design methodology enabling a multi-core SoC implementation of a first-generation CELL processor

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

ASP-DAC '06: Proceedings of the 2006 Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference

January 2006

998 pages

ISBN:0780394518

General Chair:
Fumiyasu Hirose
Cadence Design Systems, Japan

Sponsors

IEEE Circuits and Systems Society
SIGDA: ACM Special Interest Group on Design Automation
IEICE ESS: Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Engineering Sciences Society
IPSJ SIG-SLDM: Information Processing Society of Japan, SIG System LSI Design Methodology

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IEEE Press

Publication History

Published: 24 January 2006

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Overall Acceptance Rate 466 of 1,454 submissions, 32%

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Cited By

Saidi STendulkar PLepley TMaler O(2012)Optimizing explicit data transfers for data parallel applications on the cell architectureACM Transactions on Architecture and Code Optimization10.1145/2086696.20867168:4(1-20)Online publication date: 26-Jan-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2086696.2086716
MikuŁa SKos A(2011)Analysis of integrated circuits thermal dynamics with point heating timeMicroelectronics Journal10.1016/j.mejo.2010.09.01142:1(1-11)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.mejo.2010.09.011
Kim MBanerjee SDutt NVenkatasubramanian N(2008)Energy-aware cosynthesis of real-time multimedia applications on MPSoCs using heterogeneous scheduling policiesACM Transactions on Embedded Computing Systems10.1145/1331331.13313337:2(1-19)Online publication date: 29-Jan-2008
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1331331.1331333
Johnson FPaul J(2008)Interrupt modeling for efficient high-level scheduler design space explorationACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems10.1145/1297666.129767613:1(1-22)Online publication date: 6-Feb-2008
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Arce-Nazario RJiménez MRodríguez D(2008)Architectural Model and Resource Estimation for Distributed Hardware Implementation of Discrete Signal TransformsProceedings of the 2008 International Conference on Reconfigurable Computing and FPGAs10.1109/ReConFig.2008.70(103-108)Online publication date: 3-Dec-2008
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Kim MBanerjee SDutt NVenkatasubramanian NBergamaschi RChoi K(2006)Design space exploration of real-time multi-media MPSoCs with heterogeneous scheduling policiesProceedings of the 4th international conference on Hardware/software codesign and system synthesis10.1145/1176254.1176261(16-21)Online publication date: 22-Oct-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1176254.1176261

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