Collaborative Research: Energy Aware Millimeter Wireless Data Communications in Multicore Systems

本研究的目的是为多核处理器开发高效的毫米波芯片间数据通信。该方法是开发用于数据传输的小型CMOS兼容天线。该项目涉及硅上毫米波天线和片上通信接口电子器件的设计、分析和测量。这包括电磁建模，电路仿真和原型测量。将创建特殊天线，以确保用于数据传输的天线与用于处理的附近CMOS电路之间的相互作用最小。该项目的智力价值在于其创新的方法，以高速数据传输之间的集成电路在多核计算机。在具有超过100个内核的处理器中，物理连接非常复杂，严重限制了性能。在处理器上方使用空中接口是有效数据通信的新概念。 高效率的片上多天线阵列将实现可编程的直接处理器到处理器通信。天线链路将提高数据速率、节省功率并占用极小的区域。这项研究的更广泛影响包括可能全新的计算机架构，可以快速计算世界上最大的问题，例如恶劣天气预报的预测模型。研究结果将用于大一工程课程和小学示范项目。将创建集成到乐高Mindstorms机器人上的小型低剖面天线，以便机器人可以无线通信。这个动手项目的创建预计将提高招聘和保留的学生在工程的多样性。

The objective of this research is to develop efficient millimeter-wave chip-to-chip data communications for multicore processors. The approach is to develop small CMOS compatible antennas for data transfers. The project involves design, analysis, and measurement of millimeter wave antennas on silicon and the interface electronics for on-chip communications. This includes electromagnetic modeling, circuit simulation and measurement on prototypes. Special antennas will be created to ensure minimal interaction between the antennas used for data transfers and the nearby CMOS circuitry used for processing. The project's intellectual merits lie in its innovative approach to high-speed data transfers between integrated circuits in multicore computers. In processors with upwards of 100 cores, physical connections are complex and severely restrict performance. The use of the air-interface above the processors is a new concept for efficient data communications. High efficiency on-chip multi-antenna arrays will enable programmable direct processor-to-processor communications. The antenna links will increase data rates, conserve power, and consume an extremely small area. The broader impacts of this research include potentially completely new computer architectures that enable fast computation of the world's largest problems, such as predictive models for severe weather forecasting. The research results will be used for a project for freshman college engineering courses and for elementary school demonstrations. Small low-profile antennas integrated onto Lego Mindstorms robots will be created so that the robots can communicate to one another wirelessly. Creation of this hands-on project is expected to improve recruitment and retention of a diversity of students in engineering.