Researcher gives talk on improving the co-design process

Wilkie Olin-Ammentorp, a postdoctoral appointee in the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory, gave an invited talk on Threadwork, a new project at Argonne emphasizing an innovative approach to co-design for microelectronics research. The talk was presented at the Argonne All-Hands Meeting on April 2, 2024.

Engineering a computing system is a complex process that involves interaction between multiple engineering disciplines, including materials science, computer architecture, applied mathematics, and more. Traditional design processes use a ​“ladder-like” organization, where each discipline only talks to one area up or down the ladder (see Fig. 1). While this has been successful in the past, it also limits the opportunities that can be explored between technical disciplines.

Co-design changes this paradigm by exploring new connections between disciplines. The Threadwork project is one example of a co-design approach. In this approach, devices, materials, and architecture all are integrated with the application drivers. Using an example from high energy physics (HEP), Olin-Ammentorp illustrated how this approach can contribute to more effective performance for future HEP detectors (Fig. 2).

To evaluate the effectiveness of the approach, the Threadwork researchers have created a simulation framework that includes traditional simulation models and surrogate models. The simulation framework – which Olin-Ammentorp called the ​“yardstick of co-design” – provides researchers with numerous opportunities to experiment with different parameters, designs, materials and applications. That information is critical for identifying the most promising choices for future HEP detectors.

The Threadwork project is led by a team of researchers from Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. The project is funded by the DOE Advanced Scientific Computing Research program and Basic Energy Sciences program. For further information, see the Threadwork web page: https://​www​.anl​.gov/​t​h​r​e​a​dwork.