_ Department of Integrated Circuits (ASIC)

Full description (ASIC programmable switches)

Researcher  and author: Dr.   (  Afshin Rashid)


Note: ASIC programmable switches can be programmed using high-level languages ​​that define only the packet processing required for the specific switch application. This not only enables a more efficient closed command line by limiting supported protocols, but also provides the ability to implement new or customized protocols when and where needed. 

( ASIC Programmable Integrated Circuits  )  is an open network that extends to the ASIC switch level. In addition, ASIC programmable switches offer full customization flexibility without compromising performance, increasing power or increasing costs. To illustrate the fundamental differences between a fixed-function switch ASIC and a programmable ASIC, consider how incoming packets are processed through each type of ASIC. In this example,  programmable switch ASICs   are compared to a conventional fixed-performance ASIC.

( ASIC Programmable Integrated Circuits  )  with fixed functionality first parses incoming packets before processing them through a fixed pipeline of logic and various application protocol tables. That is, the ASIC supports a limited set of network protocols that forward packets based on specific rules and forwarding tables. For some switch applications, it is possible that many of the ASIC's supported protocol features will remain unused, and furthermore, any need to accommodate new protocols will require a complete hardware upgrade. It is this inflexibility and inefficiency of fixed-function ASICs that programmable switch ASICs seek to address.

Compared to fixed-function ASICs,  ASIC programmable  switches are designed  based on the protocol-independent switch architecture of its internal memory . With the  built-in memory protocol  architecture , each step of the memory command line is undefined and requires programming for packet parsing and transport logic for specific matching functions. Switch ASIC programming uses a high-level language called P4, which was developed as an alternative to fixed-function switching. The Open Network Foundation has defined the P4 language as a standard and is driving development through an active and growing P4 community. The development of P4, as well as other packet processing programming languages, allows the data plane to be fully programmable and largely independent of the underlying hardware.

Researcher  and author: Dr.   (   Afshin Rashid)

Specialized doctorate in nano-microelectronics