Towards Stochastic Delay Bound Analysis for Network-on-Chip

We propose stochastic performance analysis in order to provide probabilistic quality-of-service guarantees in on-chip packet-switching networks. In contrast to deterministic analysis which gives per-flow absolute delay bound, stochastic analysis derives per-flow probabilistic delay bounding function, which can be used to avoid over-dimensioning network resources. Based on stochastic network calculus, we build a basic analytic model for an on-chip router, propose and exemplify a stochastic performance analysis flow. In experiments, we show the correctness and accuracy of our analysis, and exhibit its potential in enhancing network utilization with a relaxed delay requirement. Moreover, the benefits of such relaxation is demonstrated through a video playback application.