A simulation framework for domain-specific system-on-chips: work-in-progress

Samet E. Arda, Anish Krishnakumar, A. Alper Goksoy, Joshua Mack, Nirmal Kumbhare, Anderson L. Sartor, Ali Akoglu, Radu Marculescu, Ümit Y. Ogras

Abstract: Homogeneous general purpose processors provide flexibility to implement a variety of applications and facilitate programmability. In contrast, heterogeneous system-on-chips (SoCs) that combine general purpose and specialized processors offer great potential to achieve higher efficiency while maintaining programming flexibility. In particular, domain-specific SoCs (DSSoC), a class of heterogeneous architectures, tailor the architecture and processing elements (PE) to a specific domain. Hence, they can provide superior energy-efficiency compared to general purpose processors by exploiting the characteristics of target applications.