Interconnect Basics: Wires to Crossbar to NoC

Interconnect Basics: Wires to Crossbar to NoC
by Bernard Murphy on 08-18-2020 at 6:00 am

rats nest min

To many of us, if we ever think about interconnect on an SoC, we may think delay, power consumption, congestion, that sort of thing. All important points from an implementation point of view, but what about the functional and system implications? In the early days, interconnect was very democratic, all wires more or less equal, … Read More


ReRAM Revisited

ReRAM Revisited
by Bernard Murphy on 11-06-2019 at 6:00 am

Memory

I met with Sylvain Dubois (VP BizDev and Marketing of Crossbar) at TechCon to get an update on his views on ReRAM technology. I’m really not a semiconductor process guy so I’m sure I’m slower than the experts to revelations in this area. But I do care about applications so I hope I can add an app spin on the topic, also Sylvain’s views on… Read More


RRAM Redux

RRAM Redux
by Bernard Murphy on 11-04-2016 at 7:00 am

Advanced memory technologies are a perennially hot topic thanks to a proliferation of data-hungry applications pushing our demand for more capacity and performance at less power and area. Among several technology contenders is Resistive RAM or RRAM (also called ReRAM). In this technology a conducting filament is grown through… Read More


Enterprise SSD SOC’s Call for a Different Interconnect Approach

Enterprise SSD SOC’s Call for a Different Interconnect Approach
by Tom Simon on 03-01-2016 at 12:00 pm

The move to SSD storage for enterprise use brings with it the need for difficult to design enterprise capable SSD controller SOC’s. The benefits of SSD in hyperscale data centers are clear. SSD’s offer higher reliability due to the elimination of moving parts. They have a smaller foot print, use less power and offer much better performance.… Read More


Compositions allow NoCs to connect easier

Compositions allow NoCs to connect easier
by Don Dingee on 01-27-2014 at 6:00 pm

I blame it on Henry Ford, William Levitt, and the NY State Board of Regents, among others. We went through a phase with this irresistible urge to stamp out blocks of sameness, creating mass produced clones of everything from cars to houses to students.

Thank goodness, that’s pretty much over. The thinking of simplifying system design… Read More


History of SoC Interconnect Fabric

History of SoC Interconnect Fabric
by Eric Esteve on 10-14-2013 at 4:18 am

I just read this very interesting article posted by Kurt Shuler from Arteris, describing the “History of SoC Interconnect Fabric” and explaining why the SC industry needs an advanced approach, named the “fourth phase of the Interconnect Fabric history” in the article. Kurt’s point of view is that in the past the SoC interconnect… Read More


After 10 years promoting crossbar switch for interconnects, Sonics finally admit that NoC is better

After 10 years promoting crossbar switch for interconnects, Sonics finally admit that NoC is better
by Eric Esteve on 10-15-2012 at 11:27 am

Network on Chip (NoC) technology is probably one of the most fascinating new concepts that has been developed and is implemented in real chips. NoC can be integrated into various System on Chip (SOC), targeting several market segment: Video Processing, Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Networking, Multimedia (digital TV),… Read More


Arteris FlexNoC penetration increase… everywhere

Arteris FlexNoC penetration increase… everywhere
by Eric Esteve on 08-02-2012 at 9:00 pm

The need for Network-on-Chip (NoC) has appeared at the time where chip makers realized that they could really integrate a complete system on a single die to build a System-on-Chip (SoC). At the early times (1995-2005), the so-call NoC IP suppliers were in fact proposing a crossbar switch, a pretty old concept initially developed… Read More


Arteris vs Sonics battle: remind Clausewitz!

Arteris vs Sonics battle: remind Clausewitz!
by Eric Esteve on 01-29-2012 at 1:56 pm

I have bloggedbefore Christmas about the Arteris-Sonics war, initiated by Sonics, claiming that Arteris NoC IP product was infringing Sonics patent. We had shown in this post that the architecture of Sonics interconnects IP product was not only older but also different from Arteris’ NoC architecture: the products launched … Read More