General goals
This project "COMCAS" aims at breakthrough
low-power design solutions for (data) communication-centric heterogeneous
multi core architectures targeting 45nm and 32nm CMOS technologies. These
architectures will be exploited in a number of future applications e.g. the
next generation of programmable multi-processor mobile phones and mobile digital
entertainment devices. COMCAS investigations concern the complete low-power
design hierarchy looking at all aspects from system level choices, modelling
of applications (algorithms, protocols) and architectures, maximize the reuse
of existing IPs using the most appropriate tool chains, partitioning and mapping,
cycle-accurate and bit-true virtual prototyping, minimal power design blending
semi- and full custom circuit designs at transistor level in technologies
of 45 nm and beyond. COMCAS builds on the results of the Medea+ LoMoSA+ project, which aimed at the creation
of European low-power expertise for mobile and multimedia applications based
on homogeneous architectures. COMCAS extends this goal with its focus on communication-centric
multi-processor architectures, which ask for disruptive solutions (new toolchains,
architecture, circuit and software tools for applications mapping) for an
unprecedented level of complexity never engineered before. In this project
silicon will be realised in 45 nm, but also in 65nm or 90nm as a proof of
concept. The toolchain and methodologies that will be developed in the project
will use standards as much as possible (e.g. IP-XACT) and the project partners
will participate to standardization bodies. The heterogeneous multi core design
solutions developed in COMCAS will have a potential to increase the energy
efficiency by reducing energy with a factor of five! The new technologies
used in the COMCAS platforms, combined with the lower power consumption allow
for the design of smaller form factor devices capable of delivering HD video,
high-resolution imaging, desktop-class 3D graphics. One of the most popular
high-end phones on the market today consumes 2W when playing HD video. This
means one battery charge will last for only 2 hours. With the COMCAS innovations
the play time should be increased to 10 hours for this use case. At the end
of the project demonstrators will be realised to show the goal of COMCAS has
been achieved: power reduction by a factor of five with a performance that
is at least equal compared to today's systems.