Global Communication and Memory Optimizing Transformations for Low Power Systems

Abstract

Abstract- In this paper we first illustrate the crucialimpact of memory related power consumption on the global system power budget, in particular for multi-dimensional real-time signal processingsubsystems. A realistic medical imaging demonstrator shows that the power budget of the system is clearly dominated by the memory access and that up to an order of magnitude can be gained by transforming the initial specification, even without incorporating the effect of a possible supply voltage reduction. We lhave analyzed the most relevant contributions in this power budget and propose several ways to reduce them. In addition, an automated transformation technique is described to decrease the memory related power budget. LOW POWER SYSTEM DESIGN Many ways exist to realize a given application. The system designer has for instance the choice between many algorithmic procedures for a desired behaviour (e.g. loop reordering). In general, a good trade-off between several characteristics (like power and area) is crucial so there is a rieed for- fast ailcl early feedback alieady ut the algoi-itliin level Mithoiii ahuvs desceridiiig to detailed RTllogic realization