A mapping strategy for resource-efficient network processing on multiprocessor SoCs

Hardware architectures based on a field of hardware-extended processors can provide flexible computing power for applications where parallelism can be exploited. For multiprocessors, the assignment of functionality to execution units can have a great impact on the performance. Additionally, finding the optimal mapping can be a time-consuming task. We present a multiprocessor architecture along with a suitable design method that includes an automated solution to the mapping problem. Our hardware architecture employs a network-on-chip (NoC) to achieve a high degree of scalability for the application and for the system in respect to future integration technologies. We also show how to reduce the packet buffer requirements with a proper scheduling strategy and present first estimates for the resource consumption of an application targeted for mobile networking.