A Domain-Specific Language and Compiler for Computation-in-Memory Skeletons

Conference paper (2017)

Authors

J. Yu Computer Engineering - EEMCS
T.A. Hogervorst Computer Engineering - EEMCS
R. Nane Computer Engineering - EEMCS
Research Group
Computer Engineering (EEMCS) (TU Delft)
Memristors Domain specific language Computation-in-memory Algorithmic skeleton
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Published Date

2017

Language

English

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Faculty

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Department

Quantum & Computer Engineering

Research Group

Computer Engineering

Abstract

Computation-in-Memory (CiM) is a new computer architecture template based on the in-memory computing paradigm. CiM can solve the memory-wall problem of classical Von Neumann-based computer systems by exploiting application-specific computational and data-flow patterns with the capability of performing both storage and computations of emerging resistive RAM technologies (e.g., memristors). However, to efficiently explore and design such radically new application-specific CiM architectures, we require fundamentally new algorithm specification and compilation techniques. In this paper, we introduce a domain-specific language to express not only the computational patterns of an algorithm but also its spatial characteristics. Furthermore, we design a compiler that is able to transform these patterns into highly-optimized CiM designs. Experiments demonstrate the functional correctness of the language and the compiler as well as an order of magnitude speedup improvement over a multicore system in both performance and energy costs.