Packet multiplexing: an efficient router implementation for adaptive mesh networks

The performance of an interconnection network with adaptive routing is strongly related to the deadlock avoidance method it applies. Virtual channels are normally used for this purpose in mesh and torus networks. This work compares true architectural alternatives in the router design: mapping each virtual channel onto a different physical link and multiplexing the set of virtual channels onto the same physical link. Besides, multiplexing at the packet level is proposed as an alternative to multiplexing at the flit level, showing the advantages of this not previously used approach. The benefits of each multiplexing type, both in message latency and throughput, have been evaluated under several traffic conditions. An estimation of the node delay for each implementation scheme has also been calculated