Sequential Power Optimization

Sequential Power Optimization
by Paul McLellan on 11-29-2012 at 8:44 pm

Calypto has an interesting webinar coming up about Minimizing RTL Power Through Sequential Analysis. It is next Tuesday December 4th at 11am.

Insert standard paragraph about how power is the new timing, everyone worries about power, battery life in smartphones, half-empty datacenters.

You probably already know about clock… Read More


40 Billion Smaller Things On The Clock

40 Billion Smaller Things On The Clock
by Don Dingee on 08-15-2012 at 8:00 pm

Big processors get all the love, it seems. It’s natural, since they are highly complex beasts and need a lot of care and feeding in the EDA and fab cycle. But the law of large numbers is starting to shift energy in the direction of optimizing microcontrollers.

I mulled the math in my head for a while. In a world with 7 billion people and … Read More


Low power techniques

Low power techniques
by Paul McLellan on 12-08-2011 at 5:49 pm

There was recently a forum discussion about the best low power techniques. Not surprisingly we didn’t come up with a new technique nobody had ever thought of but it was an interesting discussion.

First there are the techniques that by now have become standard. If anyone wants more details on these then two good resources are… Read More


Top 5 Reasons for Wasting Power

Top 5 Reasons for Wasting Power
by Paul McLellan on 08-19-2011 at 2:27 pm

Traditionally, David Letterman style, we should really have the top 10 reasons for wasting power in semiconductor design, but here are the five big ones.

Starting with reason #5: Lack of a power gating strategy
Leakage power is a huge proportion of total power and the only way to save leakage power (apart from low leakage cells when… Read More


Clocks Will Be Clocks

Clocks Will Be Clocks
by glforte on 10-14-2010 at 4:14 pm

Clock designers are an enigma. Clock designers in general are die hard Star Wars fans, own vintage Porsches that leak oil by the gallon, usually have lava lamps in their offices/cubicles, wear fancy leather jackets in the peak of summer, and have like-minded clock designers as best lunch buddies. … Read More