SHF:SMALL:Pushing the Limits of Transparent Specialization

多年来，微处理器利用摩尔定律（更小的连续几代晶体管）和它们消耗更少功率的事实来构建性能更好的芯片。由于基本限制，不再可能经济高效地制造更小的晶体管或显着降低其功耗。该研究项目开发未来的微处理器，这些微处理器的组织方式不同，使用有限的晶体管更有效地提供更好的芯片。这个研究项目探索的主要思想是一种方法，可以根据特定的任务定制芯片的某些部分，从而使每个组件都非常小且节能。程序的执行从一个这样的组件移动到另一个组件，每个组件都针对程序的该阶段进行了调优。课程改进将为学生提供设计硬件的重要经验。 这项研究将有助于指导微处理器设计的新方法，以维持性能的改善，并帮助维持信息技术leadership.The具体的方法，这项研究所采取的是一个独特的和新颖的形式的专业化称为：行为专业化加速（BSA）。 这是一种利用程序行为及其与硬件微体系结构的相互关系的范例。它与工作负载域无关。 专门针对程序行为是有利的，因为更少的加速器可以针对各种各样的代码，并且因为这些行为通常可以由编译器分析，这意味着它们的使用对程序员来说是透明的。 特别是，该研究将开发一个包括ExoCore结构和Endocore结构的芯片组织。ExoCore结构是一种处理器核心组织，它使用行为专门化来透明地改进通用工作负载的执行。Endocore结构采用不同的行为专业化，并尝试使用单个硬件架构和定义良好的软件接口来支持计算密集型域。 本研究开发的机制，一个家庭的ExoCore和EndoCore设计的FPGA原型，其附带的编译器，和详细的性能评估。

For many years, microprocessors took advantage of how Moore's Law (smaller successive generations of transistors) and the fact that they consumed less power to build better performing chips. Due to fundamental limitations it is no longer possible to cost-effectively make smaller transistors or significantly reduce their power consumption. This research project develops future microprocessors that are organized differently and more effectively using limited transistors to provide better chips. The main idea this research project explores is a way to tailor certain parts of a chip to certain tasks, thereby making each component very small and power-efficient. A program's execution moves from one such component to another, each being tuned for that phase of the program. The curriculum enhancements will provide students significant experience in designing hardware. This research will help steer microprocessor designs in novel ways to sustain performance improvements and help sustain information technology leadership.The specific approach taken by this research is a unique and novel form of specialization called: behavior specialized acceleration (BSA). This is a paradigm that exploits program behaviors and their inter-relationship to hardware microarchitecture. It is workload domain agnostic. Specializing for program behaviors is advantageous both because fewer accelerators can target a large variety of codes, and because these behaviors are typically analyzable by a compiler, meaning their use can be transparent from programmers. In particular the research will develop a chip organization that includes an ExoCore fabric and an Endocore fabric. The ExoCore fabric is a processor core organization that uses behavior specialization to transparently improve the execution of general-purpose workloads. The Endocore fabric employs different behavior specializations and attempts to support computationally-intensive domains using a single hardware architecture and well-defined software interfaces. This research develops mechanisms, an FPGA prototype of a family of ExoCore and EndoCore designs, their accompanying compiler, and detailed performance evaluation.