xstream: rapid generation of custom processors for asic designs

XStream: Rapid Generation of Custom Processorsfor ASIC Designs

Binu Mathew

* ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit

Logical Design is the Primary Cost Barrier in ASIC Design

Logical Design

Physical Design

FabricationSpec Chip

15 months, 10 designers

2 months,2 layout engineers

2 months,ASIC vendor’s fabrication facility

80% of cost 20% of cost Time to market is critical

The Business Opportunity 11,000 ASIC designs in year 2000 (DataQuest)

Average team: 10 designers, 15 months/design (Collett)

Design cost: $33B, mostly salaries ECAE revenue forecast, 2004: $1.88B (Gartner)

Per person, per year, license Volume royalties Customisation and training contracts

The XStream Technology

Very high performance custom processors replace ASIC modules Reduce design time for stream oriented ASIC modules

by 95% Retain 40-90% of ASIC performance

Software replaces hardware design Software prototype already exists Flexible, fast bug fixes, feature upgrades Share chip across product family

Usage Scenario: MPEG Encoder

Usage Scenario: MPEG Encoder

Usage Scenario: MPEG Encoder

Software(C Benchmarks)

Performance, area, power specifications

XStreamCAD Suite

3-10 HDL OptionCost/Benefit report

Flexibility requirement

XStream: Unique Technology Performance

Pattern accelerators Do restricted domains extremely well Fall back to traditional methods

Reactive Threads Fast response to events like in custom circuits

Compiler controlled data flow Mimics custom circuits

Power efficiency Compiler controlled clock gating

Competitive Comparison Features

Competitors

Examples Rapid Automated Generation

Fast/ late cycle

bug fix

10+ copies/ chip

Low power

ASIC level performance

XStream

ASIC + HDL Verilog, VHDL

Programmable chips

CPUs, FPGAs

Domain specific chips

Network processors

GPUs: NVidia, ATI

Custom CPUs Tensilica’s Xtensa, Coware’s LisaTek

Easier Development Better Performance

Summary

Reduce a large fraction of the $33B/year ASIC design cost: Replace ASIC modules with XStream processor +

Software 95% time savings for many ASIC modules 159x energy reduction compared to embedded CPUs Flexibility

Easy to do bug fixes late in product cycle Platform ASICs shared across product family

Blank Slide

Competitive Comparison Features

Competitors

Examples Rapid Automated Generation

Fast/ late cycle

bug fix

10+ copies/ chip

Low power

ASIC level performance

XStream ASIC + HDL Verilog,

VHDL Programmable chips

CPUs, FPGAs

Domain specific chips

Network processors: Intel

GPUs: NVidia, ATI

Custom CPUs Tensilica’s Xtensa, Coware’s LisaTek

Usage Scenario – Showing BenefitReduce design time for stream oriented

ASIC modules by 95% Retain 40-90% of ASIC performance 159x energy advantage over general

purpose processor 175% performance of high performance

CPU

Back-up Slides

Data validating different claims

Competitive Comparison Features

Competitors

Examples Rapid Automated Generation

Fast/ late cycle

bug fix

10+ copies/ chip

Low power

ASIC level performance

XStream

ASIC + HDL Verilog, VHDL

Programmable chips

CPUs, FPGAs

Domain specific chips

Network processors: Intel

GPUs: NVidia, ATI

Custom CPUs Tensilica’s Xtensa, Coware’s LisaTek

Usage Scenario: Camera Phone

CameraMPEGEncoder

User InterfaceCPU Wireless

Module

Control CPU

FlashMemory

Much morestuff

Screen

Antenna

Much much more stuff

System on Chip (SOC)

Microphone Speaker