Skip buffer splitting

Abstract

A compiler transforms a high-level program into configuration data for a coarse-grained reconfigurable (CGR) data processor with an array of CGR units. The compiler includes a method that identifies a skip buffer in a dataflow graph, determines limitations associated with the array, and searches for a lowest cost implementation topology and stage depth. At least three topologies are considered, including a cascaded buffer topology, a hybrid buffer topology, and a striped buffer topology. The lowest cost implementation topology and stage depth are based on the size of the buffered data (usually, the size of a tensor), the depth of the skip buffer, and the array's limitations. The hybrid buffer topology includes multiple sections of parallel memory units. The data travels between memory units in one section to adjacent memory units in a next section without intervening reorder buffers.