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Cache designs for reliable hybrid high and ultra-low voltage operation

Increasing demand for implementing highly-miniaturized battery-powered ultra-low-cost systems (e.g., below 1 USD) in emerging applications such as body, urban life and environment monitoring, etc., has introduced many challenges in the chip design. Such applications require high performance occasionally, but very little energy consumption during most of the time in order to extend battery lifetime. In addition, they require real-time guarantees. The most suitable technological solution for those devices consists of using hybrid processors able to operate at: (i) high voltage to provide high performance and (ii) near-/sub-threshold (NST) voltage to provide ultra-low energy consumption. However, the most efficient SRAM memories for each voltage level differ and it is mandatory trading off different SRAM designs, especially in cache memories, which occupy most of the processor¿s area.
In this Thesis, we analyze the performance/power tradeoffs involved in the design of SRAM L1 caches for reliable hybrid high and NST Vcc operation from a microarchitectural perspective. We develop new, simple, single-Vcc domain hybrid cache architectures and data management mechanisms that satisfy all stringent needs of our target market. Proposed solutions are shown to have high energy efficiency with negligible impact on average performance while maintaining strong performance guarantees as required for our target market.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TDX_UPC/oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/144563
Date16 May 2014
CreatorsMaric, Bojan
ContributorsAbella Ferrer, Jaume, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Arquitectura de Computadors
PublisherUniversitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Source SetsUniversitat Politècnica de Catalunya
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Format153 p., application/pdf
SourceTDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa)
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, L'accés als continguts d'aquesta tesi queda condicionat a l'acceptació de les condicions d'ús establertes per la següent llicència Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/es/

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