Re-architecting Hardware For Energy


A lot of effort has gone into the power optimization of a system based on the RTL created, but that represents a small fraction of the possible power and energy that could be saved. The industry's desire to move to denser systems is being constrained by heat, so there is an increasing focus on re-architecting systems to reduce the energy consumed per useful function performed. Making signifi... » read more

Glitch Power Issues Grow At Advanced Nodes


An estimated 20% to 40% of total power is being wasted due to glitch in some of the most advanced and complex chip designs, and at this point there is no single best approach for how and when to address it, and mixed information about how effective those solutions can be. Glitch power is not a new phenomenon. DSP architects and design engineers are well-versed in the power wasted by long, sl... » read more

Application-Optimized Processors


Executing a neural network on top of an NPU requires an understanding of application requirements, such as latency and throughput, as well as the potential partitioning challenges. Sharad Chole, chief scientist and co-founder of Expedera, talks about fine-grained dependencies, why processing packets out of order can help optimize performance and power, and when to use voltage and frequency scal... » read more

Patterns And Issues In AI Chip Design


AI is becoming more than a talking point for chip and system design, taking on increasingly complex tasks that are now competitive requirements in many markets. But the inclusion of AI, along with its machine learning and deep learning subcategories, also has injected widespread confusion and uncertainty into every aspect of electronics. This is partly due to the fact that it touches so many... » read more

Tradeoffs In DSP Design


More intelligence is now required in the front-, mid-, and back-haul for 5G/6G communication, requiring a mix of high performance, low power, and enough flexibility to accommodate constantly changing protocols and algorithms. One solution to these conflicting goals involves reconfigurable DSPs, in which the processing element is hardwired like an ASIC but still configurable for a variety of app... » read more

Getting Rid Of Heat In Chips


Power consumed by semiconductors creates heat, which must be removed from the device, but how to do this efficiently is a growing challenge. Heat is the waste product of semiconductors. It is produced when power is dissipated in devices and along wires. Power is consumed when devices switch, meaning that it is dependent upon activity, and that power is constantly being wasted by imperfect de... » read more

Improving Image Resolution At The Edge


How much cameras see depends on how accurately the images are rendered and classified. The higher the resolution, the greater the accuracy. But higher resolution also requires significantly more computation, and it requires flexibility in the design to be able to adapt to new algorithms and network models. Jeremy Roberson, technical director and software architect for AI/ML at Flex Logix, talks... » read more

Achieving Consistent RTL Power Accuracy


Are you struggling to accurately estimate RTL power consumption early in your design process? RTL power estimation can be inaccurate due to the complexity of the designs, the various power domains, and the use of multiple tools in the design process. Designers can make effective power-performance-area tradeoffs early by using a holistic methodology that includes both architectural and micro-arc... » read more

Improving Performance And Power With HBM3


HBM3 swings open the door to significantly faster data movement between memory and processors, reducing the power it takes to send and receive signals and boosting the performance of systems where high data throughput is required. But using this memory is expensive and complicated, and that likely will continue to be the case in the short term. High Bandwidth Memory 3 (HBM3) is the most rece... » read more

How The Electronics Industry Can Shape A More Sustainable, Energy-Efficient World


By Piyush Sancheti and Godwin Maben We’re already experiencing the effects of our world’s changing climate—devastating wildfires, prolonged droughts, torrential flooding, just to name a few examples. Global energy consumption is increasing, raising carbon dioxide levels and triggering extreme weather conditions. Two key forces driving these trends are the shift to hyperscale datacenter... » read more

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