Journal of KIISE:Computer Systems and Theory (한국정보과학회논문지:시스템및이론)

Korean Institute of Information Scientists and Engineers (한국정보과학회)
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SLEDS:A System-Level Event-Driven Simulator for Asynchronous Microprocessors

SLEDS:비동기 마이크로프로세서를 위한 상위 수준 사건구동식 시뮬레이터

  • Choi, Sang-Ik ;
  • Lee, Jeong-Gun (Dept. of Information Communication Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology) ;
  • Kim, Eui-Seok (Dept. of Information Communication Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology) ;
  • Lee, Dong-Ik (Dept. of Information Communication Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)
  • 최상익 (MJL Technology 기술연구소) ;
  • 이정은 (광주과학기술원 정보통신공학과) ;
  • 김의석 (광주과학기술원 정보통신공학과) ;
  • 이동익 (광주과학기술원 정보통신공학과)
  • Published : 2002.02.01
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Abstract

It is possible but not efficient to model and simulate asynchronous microprocessors with the existing HDLs(HARDware Description Languages) such as VHDL or Verilog. The reason it that the description becomes too complex. and also the simulation time becomes too long to explore the design space. Therefore it is necessary to establish a methodology and develop a tool for modeling the handshake protocol of asynchronous microprocessors very easily and simulating it very fast. Under this objective an efficient CAD(Computer Aided Design) tool SLEDS(System Level Event-Driven Simulator) was developed which can evaluate performance of a processor through modeling with a simple description an simulating with event driven engine in the system level. The ultimate goal in the tool SLEDS is to fin the optimal conditions for a system to produce high performance by balancing the delay of each module in the system. Besides SLEDS aims at verifying the design through comparing the expected results with the actual ones by performing the defined behavior.

WHDL이나 Verilog와 같은 기존의 하드웨어 기술 언어(Hardware Description Language)를 이용하여 비동기 마이크로세서를 모델링하고 시뮬레이션을 수행할수 있으나 핸드셰이크 프로토콜 (handshake protocol) 에 의해 동작하는 비동기 마이크로프로세서의 기술이 지나치게 복잡해진다. 결과적으 로 성능 평가 시간이 너무 길어져 상위 수준(system level)에서의 효과적인 설계 공간 탐색에 많은 어려움을 겪는다. 따라서 상위 수준에서 비동기적 특성인 핸드 셰이크 프로토콜을 쉽게 모델링하고 빠른시간 내에 효과적으로 시뮬레이션할수 있는 방법론과 도구가 필요하다. 이런 목적 하에 프로세서 모델링과 시 뮬레이션을 통하여 성능 평가를 수행할수 있는 자동화 도구 SLEDS(System Level Event Driven Simulator)를 개발하였다. 본 도구의 궁극적 목표는 프로세서를 구성하는 모듈들의 지연을 조절하여 (delay balancing)전체적으로 프로세서가 고성능을 얻을수 있도록 최적화 조건을 구하는 것이다. 이와 더불어 정의된 행위를 실제로 수행함으로써 예상한 결과와 실제 결과를 비교하여 설계가 제대로 되었는지 상위 수준에서의 검증을 목표로 한다.

Keywords

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