Fast, Efficient and Predictable Memory Accesses: Optimization Algorithms for Memory Architecture Aware Compilation

ISBN-13: 9781402048210 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 258 str.

Lars Wehmeyer; P. Marwedel; Peter Marwedel

Opis

The memory system is increasingly turning into a bottleneck in the design of embedded systems. The speed improvements of memory systems are lower than the speed improvements of processors, eventually leading to embedded systems whose performance is limited by the memory. This problem is known as the "memory wall" problem. Furthermore, memory systems may consume the largest share of the system's energy budget and may be the source of unpredictable timing behaviour. Hence, the design of the memory system deserves an increasing amount of attention. Fast, Efficient and Predictable Memory Accesses presents techniques for designing fast, energy-efficient and timing predictable memory systems. By using a careful combination of compiler optimizations and architectural improvements, we can achieve more than what would be feasible at one of the levels in isolation. The described optimization algorithms achieve the goals of high performance and low energy consumption. In addition to these benefits, the use of scratchpad memories significantly improves the timing predictability of the entire system, leading to tighter worst case execution time bounds (WCET). The WCET is a relevant design parameter for all timing critical systems. In addition, the book covers algorithms to exploit the power down modes of main memories in SDRAM technology, as well as the execute-in-place feature of Flash memories. The final chapter considers the impact of the register file, which is also part of the memory hierarchy.

Spis treści

1 Abstract. 2 Introduction. 2.1 Motivation. 2.2 Contributions of this Work. 2.3 Overview. 3 Models and Tools. 3.1 Instruction Set Architecture Model. 3.2 Memory Models. 3.3 Timing Models. 3.4 Energy Models.3.5 Simulation Models. 3.6 The encc Compiler Framework. 4 Scratchpad Memory Optimizations. 4.1 Related Work. 4.2 Multi Memory Optimization. 4.3 Impact of Scratchpad Allocation Techniques on WCET. 5 Main Memory Optimizations. 5.1 Related Work. 5.2 Main Memory Power Management. 5.3 Execute-In-Place using Flash Memories. 6 Register File Optimization. 6.1 Related Work. 6.2 Implementation of the Register File. 6.3 Register Allocation and Lifetime Analysis. 6.4 Workflow and Methodology. 6.5 Benchmark Suite. 6.6 Compiler Guided Choice of Register File Size. 7 Summary. 8 Future Work. Index. References.

O autorze

Prof. Peter Marwedel is well established within the Electronic Design Automation community, he has co-authored four books with us and also published his best-selling Embedded Systems Design (text)book with Springer.