Cell Multiprocessor Communication Network: Built for Speed

  • Authors:
  • Michael Kistler;Michael Perrone;Fabrizio Petrini

  • Affiliations:
  • IBM Austin Research Laboratory;IBM TJ Watson Research Center;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

  • Venue:
  • IEEE Micro
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

Multicore designs promise various power-performance and area-performance benefits. But inadequate design of the on-chip communication network can deprive applications of these benefits. To illuminate this important point in multicore processor design, the authors analyze the Cell processor's communication network, using a series of benchmarks involving DMA traffic patterns and synchronization protocols.