DOSA: Differentiable Model-Based One-Loop Search for DNN Accelerators

In the hardware design space exploration process, it is critical to optimize both hardware parameters and algorithm-to-hardware mappings. Previous work has largely approached this simultaneous optimization problem by separately exploring the hardware design space and the mapspace—both individually large and highly nonconvex spaces—independently. The resulting combinatorial explosion has created significant difficulties for optimizers.In this paper, we introduce DOSA, which consists of differentiable performance models and a gradient descent-based optimization technique to simultaneously explore both spaces and identify high-performing design points. Experimental results demonstrate that DOSA outperforms random search and Bayesian optimization by 2.80× and 12.59×, respectively, in improving DNN model energy-delay product, given a similar number of samples. We also demonstrate the modularity and flexibility of DOSA by augmenting our analytical model with a learned model, allowing us to optimize buffer sizes and mappings of a real DNN accelerator and attain a 1.82× improvement in energy-delay product.CCS CONCEPTS• Hardware → Hardware-software codesign; Application specific processors; • Computing methodologies → Machine learning; Modeling and simulation; Search methodologies.