A dynamic CDMA network for multicore systems

CDMA (code-division multiple-access) is a data transmission method based on the spreading code technology, where in multiple data streams share the same physical medium with no interference. A novel architecture for on-chip communication networks based on this approach is devised. The proposed design allows sharing coding resources among network’s users through the use of dynamic assignment of spreading codes. Data transmission latency is reduced by adopting a parallel structure for the coding/decoding circuitry. A 14-node CDMA network based on the proposed architecture is synthesised using 65nm ST technology library. Performance analysis reveals that the proposed approach achieves significantly lower data packet latency compared to both conventional CDMA and packet switched network-on-chip implementations. Large area and power savings compared to existing approaches are also obtained.