Cost estimation for configurable model-driven SoC designs using machine learning

Abstract

The complexity of today's System on Chips (SoCs) forces designers to use higher levels of abstractions. Here, early design decisions are conducted on abstract models while different configurations describe how to actually realize the desired SoC. Since those decisions severely affect the final costs of the resulting SoC (in terms of utilized area, power consumption, etc.), a fast and accurate cost estimation is essential at this design stage. Additionally, the resulting costs heavily depend on the adopted logic synthesis algorithms, which optimize the design towards one or more cost objectives. But how to structure a cost estimation method that supports multiple configurations of an SoC, implemented by use of different synthesis strategies, remains an open question. In this work, we address this problem by providing a cost estimation method for a configurable SoC using Machine Learning (ML). A key element of the proposed method is a data representation which describes SoC configurations in a way that is suited for advanced ML algorithms. Experimental evaluations conducted within an industrial environment confirm the accuracy as well as the efficiency of the proposed method.