Book excerpt: Streamlined Design Solutions Specifically for NoC To solve critical network-on-chip (NoC) architecture and design problems related to structure, performance and modularity, engineers generally rely on guidance from the abundance of literature about better-understood system-level interconnection networks. However, on-chip networks present several distinct challenges that require novel and specialized solutions not found in the tried-and-true system-level techniques. A Balanced Analysis of NoC Architecture As the first detailed description of the commercial Spidergon STNoC architecture, Design of Cost-Efficient Interconnect Processing Units: Spidergon STNoC examines the highly regarded, cost-cutting technology that is set to replace well-known shared bus architectures, such as STBus, for demanding multiprocessor system-on-chip (SoC) applications. Employing a balanced, well-organized structure, simple teaching methods, numerous illustrations, and easy-to-understand examples, the authors explain: how the SoC and NoC technology works why developers designed it the way they did the system-level design methodology and tools used to configure the Spidergon STNoC architecture differences in cost structure between NoCs and system-level networks From professionals in computer sciences, electrical engineering, and other related fields, to semiconductor vendors and investors – all readers will appreciate the encyclopedic treatment of background NoC information ranging from CMPs to the basics of interconnection networks. The text introduces innovative system-level design methodology and tools for efficient design space exploration and topology selection. It also provides a wealth of key theoretical and practical MPSoC and NoC topics, such as technological deep sub-micron effects, homogeneous and heterogeneous processor architectures, multicore SoC, interconnect processing units, generic NoC components, and embeddings of common communication patterns.