Performance Analysis Techniques for Multi-Soft-Core and Many-Soft-Core Systems

Table 3

Performance analysis methods that can be used in multi-soft-core and many-soft-core applications.

Acronym	Technique	Area overhead	Virtual time overhead	Real time overhead	Real time accuracy	Scalability
ELA	Embedded logic analyzer [7]	Medium	None	None	Full	Very low
SP	Sampling profiling [8, 9]	None	Low-high	Low-high	High-low	High
TP	Transparent profiling [10]	Medium	None	None	Full	Low
VP	Trace based on virtual prototypes [11]	—	None	High	Very low	Low
FS	Functional simulation [15–18]	—	—	Low	Very low	High
New proposed methods
ACI	Automatic compiler instrumentation	None	Low-high	Low-high	High-low	Medium
TN	Dedicated tracing node	Low	Low-high	Low-high	High-low	Medium
TI	Transparent instrumentation with clock gating	Medium	None	Medium	Medium	Medium
CI	Custom instruction and dedicated networks	Medium	Very low	Very low	Very high	High