Specialized path

Low Power Design & UPF

Power is a first-class constraint in modern chips. This path covers the techniques that control it: clock gating, multi-threshold cells, power domains and voltage islands, level shifters and isolation, retention registers, power gating with MTCMOS, and capturing it all as UPF power intent.

13
lessons
1 h 39 min
of reading
Advanced
level
Free
every lesson

Lessons

13 lessons · 1 h 39 min
  1. 01OverviewWhy power is a first-class design constraint in modern chips, and the techniques this path covers, from clock gating to UPF.6 min
  2. 02Why Low Power MattersWhy battery life, heat and cost make power a design constraint in every modern chip, from phones to data centres.5 min
  3. 03Clock Gating (ICG)How integrated clock gating (ICG) cells stop the clock to idle registers, the most widely used way to cut dynamic power.8 min
  4. 04Multi-Threshold Voltage (Multi-Vt)How libraries offer the same cells at several threshold voltages, and how mixing high, standard and low Vt trades leakage for speed.7 min
  5. 05Power Domains & Voltage IslandsWhat a power domain is, and how voltage islands let blocks run at different voltages or switch off independently.6 min
  6. 06Level Shifters & Isolation CellsWhy signals crossing voltage domains need level shifters, and why the outputs of a switched-off domain need isolation cells.7 min
  7. 07Retention RegistersHow retention registers keep their value through power gating with an always-on shadow latch, and when to use them.7 min
  8. 08Power Gating (MTCMOS)How header and footer switch cells cut the supply to idle blocks, bringing their leakage close to zero.7 min
  9. 09UPF: Unified Power FormatUPF (IEEE 1801), the standard way to describe power intent: domains, supply nets, power states, isolation, level shifters and retention.9 min
  10. 10Low Power Interview Questions (Top 15)The low power questions interviewers ask most, with model answers on dynamic and leakage power, clock gating, multi-Vt and UPF.10 min
  11. 11Dynamic Voltage and Frequency ScalingTrading voltage and frequency at runtime to save power9 min
  12. 12Power Estimation and AnalysisHow power is computed, and why activity is everything9 min
  13. 13UPF Power States and the Power State TableDefining legal supply combinations and their strategy9 min