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LOAD BALANCING SWITCH

By: Oleg Schtofenmaher

Maxim FudimSupervisor: Walter Isaschar

Midterm presentation for project

Winter 2007 ( Part A)

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General overview

Software solutions for real-time are too slow

Power dissipation limits work frequencies

Greater computing power neededH/W accelerators can improve S/W

processesMulti-core, multi-threaded systems

are the future

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Multiprocessor environment for parallel processing of vectors data stream

Maximal ThroughputConfigurable hardwareStatistics reportExpandable design

Project Goals

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System specifications

1M pulse/sec data streamVectors of 8 ÷ 1024 pulses1K ÷ 125K vectors/secVariable number of acceleratorsTimeout of 100msecSystem span over multiple FPGAs

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Problem

How to manage Data stream? How to manage multiple parallel units? How to achieve full and effective

utilization of resources?

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Solution

Load Balancing SwitchConverting shared resources to

“personal” work space.Smart management of systemMonitoring of each unit’s loadEasily expandable

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System Block diagram

Input vectorsLoad Balancing

Switch

(LBS)

Output reports

NIOS VPU

S/W or H/W

generator

S/W or H/W

consumer

DDR2 Bank A

Data and Control

Stratix II FPGAPROCStar II

DDR2 Bank B

NIOS VPU

Organization of VPU’s(Vector Processing Units)

NIOS VPUs joined into the clustersConstant number of ClustersVarious number of NIOS VPU’s in

clusterVariable configuration of NIOS Different Priority for different

clusters

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System Top Diagram

Input vectors

Load Balancing

Switch

(LBS)

Output reports

DDR2 Bank A

Stratix II FPGAPROCStar II

DDR2 Bank B

Gidel’s FIFO

control IP

Data flow

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

NIOScluster

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LBS Top Level ViewP

CI

Main Controller

unit

Stratix II FPGA

Output Writer

Cluster ArbiterNIOS II Syste

m

Input Reader

Cluster ArbiterNIOS II Syste

m

Control

Control

FIFO Input Port

FIFOOutput

Port

Control

Cluster ArbiterNIOS II Syste

mMuxed output data bus

Input data bus

Controland Status

Statistics

Reporter

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System Interfaces

Software to Hardware Interface:

Input and Output MultiFIFO PCI data bus

MultiFIFO status flags2x32-bit general read purpose

registers2x32-bit general write purpose

registers8-bit information registerSoftware reset signal

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Input System Interface

LBS Input Interface :64 bit data bus from Input MultiFIFORead request and ack. SignalsMultiFIFO status flagsSW/HW input signals

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Output System Interface

LBS Output interface :64 bit data bus to Output MultiFIFOWrite request and ack. SignalsMultiFIFO status flagsSW/HW input signals

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Data Packet Format

Header Data 1 to N

Words

Tail

……

Unused

Nios Numb

er

Data Length

Vector ID

8-bit 32-bit16-bitVersion 4-bit

SW/HW Control 1-bit

Type1-bit

Tail : Sync Data or Checksum(in the future)

Header:

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NIOS Input Interface

Hardware:64-bit input data bus – from LBS10 bit data slices counter – from LBSWrite request signal – from LBSChip select signal – from LBSNIOS ready signal – from NIOSData ready signal – from LBS

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NIOS Output Interface

Hardware:64 bit output data bus – from NIOS7 bit data slices counter – from LBSRead request signal – from LBSChip select signal – from LBSOutput ready signal – from NIOSOutput taken signal – from LBS

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Twin VPU SystemInput / Output waveform

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LBS Units DescriptionInput ReaderReading data from input FIFOWriting data to selected clusterProviding header control bits for main

controllerSynchronization checksVector length counter

Main Controller unit

Output

Writer

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

Input Reade

r Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

FIFO

Input

Port

FIFOOutput

Port

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

SystemMuxed output data

bus

Input data bus

Controland Status

Statistics

Reporter

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Input Reader Diagram

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LBS Units DescriptionInput Controller - FSM

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LBS Units DescriptionOutput WriterReading data from selected clusterWriting data to output FIFOVector length counter

Main Controller unit

Output

Writer

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

Input Reade

r Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

FIFO

Input

Port

FIFOOutput

Port

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

SystemMuxed output data

bus

Input data bus

Controland Status

StatisticsReporter

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Output Writer Diagram

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LBS Units DescriptionOutput Controller - FSM

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LBS Units DescriptionMain Controller

Enabling input and output unitsSelecting control source (S/W or

H/W)Monitoring clusters’ load via

status busesSelecting clusters for input/output

operationsData validity indication

Main Controller unit

Output

Writer

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

Input Reade

r Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

FIFO

Input

Port

FIFOOutput

Port

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

SystemMuxed output data

bus

Input data bus

Controland Status

StatisticsReporter

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Main ControllerStatus Decoders

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Status input and output independent decoders

Dynamic port mappingAlways selecting closest active

neighborSuits “similar NIOSes” designTo be expanded in part B

LBS Units DescriptionMC Status Alghoritm

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LBS Units DescriptionMC Status Alghoritm

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Decoding Flow

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LBS Units DescriptionStatistics Reporter Monitoring system activity Counting processed vectors Throughput = Vectors served / Time

of service To be expanded in part B

Main Controller unit

Output

Writer

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

Input Reade

r Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

FIFO

Input

Port

FIFOOutput

Port

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

SystemMuxed output data

bus

Input data bus

Controland Status

StatisticsReporter

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Cluster parametric enablingCluster controllerWatchdogNIOS System

LBS Units DescriptionCluster Entity

Main Controller unit

Output

Writer

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

Input Reade

r Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

System

FIFO

Input

Port

FIFOOutput

Port

Cluster

Arbiter

NIOS II

SystemMuxed output data

bus

Input data bus

Controland Status

StatisticsReporter

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LBS Units DescriptionCluster Structure

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Input 4-phase REQ/ACK protocol with NIOSNios ReadyData Ready

Output 4-phase REQ/ACK protocol with NIOSOutput ReadyOutput Taken

Smart Status Reporter

LBS Units DescriptionCluster Controller

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LBS Units DescriptionCluster Controller

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Cluster Input FSM

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Cluster Output FSM

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SOPC components: Input Vector Output VectorNios IIOn-chip memoryTimer

LBS Units DescriptionExample for NIOS System

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Export signals from LBS 64-bit data Nios/Data Ready Address , Chipselect , Write

request ,Clock , Reset On-chip memory for 1024 32-bit words Avalon slave data port for 32-bit data

to NIOS II Avalon slave data ready port

LBS Units Description Input vector

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LBS Units Description Input vector component

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Avalon slave 32-bit data output port from NIOS II

Avalon slave output ready port On-chip memory for 128 32-bit words Export signals to LBS

64-bit data Output Ready / Taken Address , Chipselect , Read

request ,Clock , Reset

LBS Units Description Output vector

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LBS Units Description Output vector component

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Tasks

Study PROCStar Board – Done Study Altera’s Stratix II FPGA – Done Study Quartus and HDL designer– Done Study GIDEL API – Done Learn to use Signal Tap tool – Done Study Altera’s NIOS II – Done Define interface with software group –

Done Develop signal generator for testing –

Done

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Tasks (cont.)

Define interface with accelerator group – Done

Build direct connection with s/w and NIOS II – Done

Expand design for several NIOS’s – Done Define basic algorithm for h/w switching –

Done Implementation and debugging of the

switch – Done Integration of entire system – Done Create Test application for operating with

hardware design – Done

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System Demonstration

Demonstration

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Tasks for Part B

Increase number of Nios’s in clusters Spread design to several FPGAs Improve algorithm for cluster selection Expand statistic reports Expand SW/HW communication Add error correction/handling