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Low Power Arithmetic Unit Design

The document discusses the design of low-power arithmetic units in VLSI systems through behavioral-level transformations. Key techniques include pipelining, clock gating, operand isolation, and the use of low-power arithmetic components to minimize power consumption. These strategies are crucial for enhancing efficiency in battery-powered and high-performance applications.

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Aravindharam D
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41 views2 pages

Low Power Arithmetic Unit Design

The document discusses the design of low-power arithmetic units in VLSI systems through behavioral-level transformations. Key techniques include pipelining, clock gating, operand isolation, and the use of low-power arithmetic components to minimize power consumption. These strategies are crucial for enhancing efficiency in battery-powered and high-performance applications.

Uploaded by

Aravindharam D
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Design of a Low-Power Arithmetic Unit Using Behavioral-Level Transformations

Introduction:

In VLSI systems, arithmetic units such as adders and multipliers are among the most power-hungry

components. Designing an arithmetic unit using behavioral-level transformations can significantly reduce

power consumption. The goal is to reduce unnecessary switching activity, prevent redundant operations, and

apply architectural techniques like pipelining and gating.

1. Use Pipeline Registers

Pipelining breaks a large computation into smaller stages, each separated by registers. This allows lower

frequency operation and reduced dynamic power by reducing critical path delay.
// Example of pipelined adder in Verilog
always @(posedge clk) begin
stage1_sum <= A + B;
stage2_sum <= stage1_sum + C;
end

Power Benefit: Reduces switching delay and supports low-voltage, low-frequency operation.

2. Apply Clock Gating

Clock gating disables the clock signal to unused portions of the circuit, preventing unnecessary toggling of

flip-flops and logic.


// Verilog code snippet for clock gating
assign gated_clk = enable ? clk : 0;
always @(posedge gated_clk) begin
result <= input_val + operand;
end

Power Benefit: Saves power by avoiding activity in idle modules.

3. Implement Operand Isolation

Operand isolation prevents the data inputs from toggling when the output is not required, thus reducing

unnecessary computation.
// Operand isolation using enable signal
assign a_isolated = enable ? A : 0;
assign b_isolated = enable ? B : 0;
always @(*) begin
result = a_isolated + b_isolated;
end

Power Benefit: Eliminates spurious transitions and saves dynamic power.

4. Utilize Low-Power Adders and Multipliers

Replace standard arithmetic units with optimized versions such as carry-skip or carry-select adders, and Booth

or Wallace multipliers for efficient switching.


// Booth Multiplier (conceptual example)
always @(posedge clk) begin
product <= booth_multiplier(A, B);
end

Power Benefit: These architectures reduce switching activity in internal nodes.

Summary Table

Pipeline Registers Break long logic into stages Lower switching, slower clock

Clock Gating Disable clock to unused logic Avoid toggle in idle logic

Operand Isolation Block unnecessary data toggle Reduce spurious computation

Low-Power Units Use efficient architectures Internal switching minimized

Conclusion

Behavioral-level design transformations can significantly reduce the power consumption of arithmetic units.

By combining pipelining, clock gating, operand isolation, and using low-power arithmetic components, a

power-efficient arithmetic unit can be developed. These techniques are essential for battery-powered and

high-performance VLSI systems.

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