An improved distributed routing algorithm for Benes based optical NoC

Abstract: Integrated optical interconnect is believed to be one of the main technologies to replace electrical wires. Optical Network-on-Chip (ONoC) has attracted more attentions nowadays. Benes topology is a good choice for ONoC for its rearrangeable non-blocking character, multistage feature and easy scalability. Routing algorithm plays an important role in determining the performance of ONoC. But traditional routing algorithms for Benes network are not suitable for ONoC communication, we developed a new distributed routing algorithm for Benes ONoC in this paper. Our algorithm selected the routing path dynamically according to network condition and enables more path choices for the message traveling in the network. We used OPNET to evaluate the performance of our routing algorithm and also compared it with a well-known bit-controlled routing algorithm. ETE delay and throughput were showed under different packet length and network sizes. Simulation results show that our routing algorithm can provide better performance for ONoC.