1996 Reports

Concurrency-Oriented Optimization for Low-Power Asynchronous Systems

Plana, Luis A.; Nowick, Steven M.

We introduce new architectural optimizations for asynchronous systems. These optimizations allow application of voltage scaling, to reduce power consumption while maintaining system throughput. In particular, three new asynchronous sequencer designs are introduced, which increase the concurrent activity of the system.We show that existing datapaths will not work correctly at the increased level of concurrency. To insure correct operation, modified latch and multiplexer designs are presented, for both dual-rail and single-rail implementations. The increased concurrency allows the opportunity for substantial system-wide power savings through application of voltage scaling.