Modeling temperature distribution in Networks-on-Chip using RC-circuits

As transistor dimensions are shrinking into regions of only a few atomic layers, designers are faced with various problems including increased reliability and power issues. Since these problems are amplified by higher circuit temperatures, this paper proposes an approach for the fine-grained modeling of temperature distribution in many-core systems based on Networks-on-Chip. With this model, algorithms can be developed that consider the significant impact of temperature -e.g. on performance, power or reliability. To simulate the dynamic nature of temperature, the thermal properties of according integrated systems are modeled through the instantiation of equivalent RC-circuits. This approach exploits the dualism between electrical and thermal flows of energy. Finally, an application with system control for task mapping and power management exemplifies the proposed simulation methodology.