Software design for low power

It is tempting to suppose that only hardware dissipates power, not software. However, that would be analogous to postulating that only automobiles burn gasoline, not people. In microprocessor, micro-controller, and digital signal processor based systems, it is software that directs much of the activity of the hardware. Consequently, the software can have a substantial impact on the power dissipation of a system. Until recently, there were no efficient and accurate methods to estimate the overall effect of a software design on power dissipation. Without a power estimator there was no way to reliably optimize software to minimize power. Since 1993, a few researchers have begun to crack this problem. In this chapter, you will learn of the progress that has been made and identify ways to minimize the contribution of software to the power dissipation of mixed hardware-software designs.

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