RT-Level Power Analysis Using Information Theoretic Measures
Diana Marculescu, Radu Mărculescu, Massoud Pedram · 2007
The problem of estimating the power consumption at logic and register transfer levels is addressed from an information theoretical point of view. It is shown that the average switching activity can be predicted without simulation using either entropy or informational energy averages. Consequently, two new measures relying on these concepts are developed. The accuracy of these models is investigated using common benchmarks and results are reported. 3 I. INTRODUCTION Modern design tools have changed the entire design process of digital systems. As a result, most of the systems are conceived and designed today at the behavioral/logic level, with little or no knowledge of the final gate level implementation and the layout style. In particular, designers are becoming more and more interested in register-transfer level (RTL) modules (adders, multipliers, registers, multiplexers) and strategies to put them together in order to build complex digital systems. Power minimization in digital sy...