From Bus To Crossbar To Network on Chip
Network-On-Chip (“NoC”) technology is rapidly displacing traditional bus and crossbar approaches for SoC on-chip interconnect. What defines a NoC ? Many terms are being used in the industry: On-Chip Networks, Interconnect Fabrics, Networks-On-Chips and so on. Let’s use the term “on-chip interconnect” as an umbrella name for all approaches. The Network-on-Chip is one specific architecture and is defined as “an on-chip interconnect with decoupled transaction layer, transport layer and physical layer”. This article explains the underlying concepts of Network-on-Chip technology, and details why NoC technology is superior to bus and crossbar approaches.
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