CSR:Small:Employing Design Automation to Build Foundations for Holistic Multicore Design

整体设计方法在微处理器设计研究中获得了突出的地位，因为它们在提高能源效率和可靠性等多个设计目标方面显示出巨大的潜力。然而，从经济可行性的角度来看，包含多个设计层的整体技术（传统上是分离的）正面临着严峻的挑战。另一方面，为了降低设计成本，一些行业领导者正在提倡在多层计算机系统设计中有效地涉及设计自动化的技术。这项研究结合了未来计算机设计的两个有前途的方向：整体视角和在多个设计层面拥抱设计自动化。该研究为实现端到端的整体设计奠定了基础，其中来自多个层面的设计选择无缝集成。在逻辑设计和物理设计中进行联合设计空间探索，同时考虑系统级架构设计选择及其对工作负载执行的影响。在此范式下探讨了两个中心主题：(a)提高系统范围内的能源效率，(b)提高系统可靠性，重点关注间歇性定时故障脆弱性。计算机设计技术的创新超越了多个设计层之间的界限，可以使用这个框架进行建模和研究，从而刺激对深远问题的研究。跨层设计领域的研究将使电路设计师和系统架构师能够加强协作设计，以开发价格合理、节能可靠的计算机系统。主要的研究见解将被整合到pi教授的课程中，以培养计算机工程师。通过教学传播的技能集将创造新的专业，并导致更高效的未来计算机系统。

Holistic design approaches have gained in prominence in microprocessor design research, as they show tremendous potential in improving multiple design objectives such as energy efficiency and reliability. However, holistic techniques encompassing multiple design layers, which are traditionally decoupled, are facing severe challenges from the economic feasibility standpoint. On the other hand, to reduce the design costs, several industry leaders are advocating techniques to effectively involve design automation in multiple layers of computer system design.This research combines two promising directions for future computer designs: holistic perspective and embracing design automation at multiple design layers. The research builds a foundation for realizing an end-to-end holistic design, where design choices from multiple layers are seamlessly integrated. Jointdesign space exploration is performed in logic and physical design, while considering system level architectural design choices and their implication on workload execution. Two central themes are explored under this paradigm: (a) improving system wide energy efficiency, and (b) improving system reliability focusing on intermittent timing fault vulnerability. Innovations in computer design technology that surpass boundaries between multiple design layers can be modeled and investigated using this framework, stimulating research on far-reaching problems.Research in the area of cross-layer design will enable circuit designers and system architects to increase collaborative design to develop affordable, energy-efficient and reliable computer systems. Major research insights will be integrated in courses taught by the PIs to train computer engineers. Skill sets disseminated through teaching will create new specialties and lead to more efficient future computer systems.