NoC prototyping on FPGAs: A case study using an image processing benchmark

Network-on-Chip (NoC) approach is emerging as an effective paradigm which addresses the shortcomings of traditional bus-based systems relating to scalability and efficiency for large System-on-Chip (SoC) designs. A significant amount of theoretical work has been done exploring various NoC architectures. But only a handful of studies have demonstrated actual implementation of NoC-based systems for real world applications. These studies provide greater practical insight compared to theoretical studies that rely solely on simulations from traffic generators. Prototyping NoC-based systems for real world applications enables more detailed performance evaluation based on metrics such as area and speed. In this paper, we present a NoC-based Field-Programmable System-on-chip (FPSoC) that is used to implement an image processing benchmark as a real world application. We discuss the challenges of developing an NoC-based system for FPGA implementation and assess the NoC's potential for future development.