This paper presents a novel high performance Network-on-Chip (NoC) router architecture design using a bi-directional link with double data rate (BiLink). Ideally, it can provide as high as 2 times ...speed-up compared with the conventional NoC router. BiLink utilizes an extra link stage between routers and transmits two flits in one link per cycle using phase pipelining if both routers require to use the current link. To further increase the effective bandwidth, the direction of each link can be configured in every clock cycle to cater for different traffic loads from each side. Therefore, the data rate can be as high as 4 times compared with conventional NoC routers under uneven traffic. Centralized mode control scheme is implemented using a finite state machine (FSM) approach. Cycle-accurate simulations are carried out on both synthetic traffic patterns as well as real application benchmarks. Simulation results show that BiLink can provide as high as 90% and 250% speedup compared with conventional NoC routers for even and uneven traffic, respectively. 2X and 3X gains in throughput are obtained under even and uneven traffic, respectively, when compared with the conventional NoC router for the virtual channel flow control. The BiLink router architecture is synthesized using TSMC 65nm process technology and it is shown that an area overhead of 28% over state-of-the-art bi-directional NoC is introduced while the critical path is about 9% higher than that of the conventional routers. Despite the overhead in critical path and power consumption, a 47.45% improvement of Energy-Delay-Product (EDP) is achieved by BiLink under high injection rate traffic.
•A novel NoC architecture is proposed to support the double data rate transfer in a clock cycle.•A reconfigurable structure is designed to cater for the uneven traffic pattern.•Performance gain of the proposed architecture is evaluated by a cycle accurate simulator, using both synthetic and real traffic patterns.•The area and power overhead is analyzed based on the hardware implementation of the architecture using TSMC 65nm technology.
Providing an adequate level of quality-of-experience (QoE) for multimedia applications in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) is a challenging task due to its environmental characteristics, such as ...dynamic network topology, variable bit-rates of transmitting traffic, and fluctuating link conditions. In this paper, we propose a QoS provisioning mobility-aware and radio characteristics enabled routing for video streaming over MANETs (Q-RCNM) based routing protocol, and its multipath variant (i.e., Q-RCNMM). Our protocols ensure adequate QoE to the end users while receiving the multimedia traffic. Q-RCNM uses link-bandwidth, link-delay, and link-transmission efficiency ratio as QoS metrics along with the node mobility during its QoS-aware route discovery phase. We propose novel techniques for accurately estimating the aforementioned QoS metrics. Additionally, we design a joint analytical model that simultaneously considers the dynamic values of the aforementioned metrics to generate a single link-QoS value. Simulation results in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), delay, route throughput, transmission efficiency, and route lifetime, shows the efficiency of our proposal when compared with similar state-of-the-art techniques.
The link between technology and sleep is more complex than originally thought. In this updated theoretical review, we propose a new model informed by the growing body of evidence in the area over the ...past 10 years. The main theoretical change is the addition of bi-directional links between the use of technology and sleep problems. We begin by reviewing the evidence to date for the originally proposed mechanisms of bright light, arousal, nighttime sleep disruptions, and sleep displacement. Then, in support of the new direction of effect (sleep problems preceding technology use), we propose two new mechanisms: technology before sleep might be used as a time filler and/or as an emotional regulation strategy to facilitate the sleep-onset process. Finally, we present potential moderators of the association between technology and sleep, in recognition of protective and vulnerability factors that may mitigate or exacerbate the effects of technology on sleep and vice versa. The goal of this theoretical review is to update the field, guide future public health messages, and to prompt new research into how much technology and sleep affect each other, for whom it may be problematic, and which mechanisms may explain their association.
Almost all previous studies on link prediction have focused on using the properties of the network to predict the existence of links between pairs of nodes. Unfortunately, previous methods rarely ...consider the role of link direction for link prediction. In fact, many real-world complex networks are directed and ignoring the link direction will mean overlooking important information. In this study, we propose a phase-dynamic algorithm of the directed network nodes to analyse the role of link directions and demonstrate that the bi-directional links and the one-directional links have different roles in link prediction and network structure formation. From this, we propose new directional prediction methods and use six real networks to test our algorithms. In real networks, we find that compared to a pair of nodes which are connected by a one-directional link, a pair of nodes which are connected by a bi-directional link always have higher probabilities to connect to the common neighbours with only bi-directional links (or conversely by one-directional links). We suggest that, in the real networks, the bi-directional links will generally be more informative for link prediction and network structure formation. In addition, we propose a new directional randomized algorithm to demonstrate that the direction of the links plays a significant role in link prediction and network structure formation.
•Various directional links play different prediction roles by mathematical analysis.•Bi-directional links are more informative for link prediction by real data testing.•We propose a new directional randomized algorithm to analysis the role of direction.
When one looks back on his/her notes and memos taken before, the context information like what references were used is easily lost, and often hard to recreate. Reserving traces for such referencing, ...including references to others' notes, is expected to be highly beneficial for collaborative learning. We have developed a note-taking system, the ReCoNote or the Reflective Collaboration Note, to implement such record keeping. Notes are taken with mutual bi-directional links with explicit comments. The ReCoNote has been used in university classrooms successfully. The students gradually got used to the collaborative uses of links, and found several useful ways to use the ReCoNote to help themselves engage in more productive learning activities.
