Communication methods in a network-on-chip

A method for branched communication in a statically routed and time-sensitive network-on-chip (NoC) which has a multiplicity of router nodes which are interconnected so that the router nodes are enabled to exchange messages with one another, the method comprising steps of:

• a) transmitting by a source node to a router node of a message which contains flow control data and payload data, wherein the flow control data contain at least one flit with at least one hop which define a main route to a main destination node and at least one branch route to a branch destination node;
• b) receiving of the message by the router node;
• c) modifying by the router node of the flow control data received in step b) to obtain modified flow control data, whereby, to obtain modified flow control data for the main route, current hop is removed from current flit and, if the current hop contains a branch marker, all hops assigned to the branch marker are removed from the received flow control data, and whereby, to obtain modified flow control data for the branch route, all hops assigned to the branch marker are recorded in the flow control data for the branch route;
• and
• d) forwarding of the message which contains the flow control data modified in step c), according to the flow control data received in step b), wherein the message is forwarded along the main route with the flow control data for the main route obtained in step c), and wherein the message is forwarded along the branch route with flow control data for the branch route.

A network-on-chip (NoC) comprising a plurality of router nodes which are interconnected so that the router nodes are enabled to exchange messages with one another, wherein the NoC is configured for operating steps of:

• a) transmitting by at least two different source nodes in each case of at least two identical messages which contain at least flow control data, payload data and check data to at least one predetermined receive node such that the messages reach the receive node together at a predetermined time;
• b) combining by the receive node of the messages received by the receive node into a combined message which contains flow control data, payload data and check data, or comparing by the receive node of the messages received by the receive node;
• and
• c) further processing of the combined message by the receive node or further processing of at least one of the messages received by the receive node based on a result of the comparison from step b).