A Micro-buffered Router Architecture and Deflection Routing Algorithm for Vertically Partially Connected 3D NoC

Abstract

Due to the problem of high hardware cost and low yield of the TSV in 3D NoC, the vertically partially connected 3D NoC with limit number of TSV has been researched widely. With respect to little research on micro-buffered router which is suitable for this topology and can further reduce hardware cost, a micro buffered router in vertically partially connected 3D NoC is proposed. This router is the 3D extension of MinBD and modifies side-buffer design in MinBD at the same time. Then a deflection routing algorithm based on this router is proposed. The productive output ports of the intra-layer communication packet are calculated according to the direction of destination node and the productive output ports of the inter-layer communication packet are calculated according to the distribution of TSV in current layer. The experimental results show that the network performance of our router is better than reference micro buffered routers’, while even is similar to traditional buffered routers in low and medium network traffic environment.