Traffic-and thermal-aware routing algorithms for 3d network-on-chip (3D NoC) systems

Three-dimensional Network-on-Chip (3D NoC) has been proposed to solve the complex on-chip communication issues in future 3D multicore systems. However, the thermal problems of 3D NoC are more serious than 2D NoC due to stacking dies. To keep the temperature below a certain thermal limit, many approaches of run-time thermal management were proposed. In this chapter, we will introduce some design concepts of traffic-and thermal-aware routing algorithms, which aim at minimize the performance impact caused by the run-time thermal managements. The investigative approaches can mitigate the design challenges of 3D NoC systems. Without the enhancement of cooling devices, the 3D NoC system can still be thermal-safe. Besides, the advantages of 3D integration are preserved, because the thermal-limited performance back-off is reduced.