Accurate Channel Models for Realistic Design Space Exploration of Future Wireless NoCs

Wireless Networks-on-Chip (WiNoC) are being explored for parallel applications to improve the performances by reducing the long distance/critical path communications. However, WiNoC still require precise propagation models to go beyond proof of concept and to demonstrate it can be considered as a realistic efficient alternative to wired NoC. In this paper, we present accurate 3D models based on measurements in Ka band and Electromagnetic (EM) simulations of transmission on silicon substrate in the V band and the Sub-THz band. Using these EM results, a time-domain simulation is performed using an On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation based transmission with different PA/LNA configurations. Our results highlight the type of performances and tradeoffs to be considered according to different parameters such as power output and amplifier's gain. By improving the knowledge about the signal propagation, one can conduct precise design space exploration for parallel applications. We discuss the realistic channel modeling and we present also hybrid solutions and associated limitations of WiNoC architectures. We conclude the paper with research directions to be explored to make WiNoC a reality.