Comparison of NoC Routing Algorithms Using Formal Methods

Network on Chip (NoC) has emerged as a promising interconnection paradigm for complex on-chip communications. As fabrication cost is high, model based design of NoC and early exploration to make proper design decisions are important challenges in NoCs. To tackle these challenges, we use formal methods and utilize their expressivity and flexibility to model different behaviors of a NoC and their abstraction to support early analysis of the design. We propose a formal approach for selection of the best routing algorithm in a NoC, according to its performance requirements. We present a model for two-dimensional mesh NoC using actor based modeling language Rebeca. Both functional and timing behaviors are modeled. The model is then used to compare three routing algorithms XY, Odd-Even and DyAD with respect to the maximum end-to-end packet latency in different scenarios.