Power efficient inter-module communication for digit-serial DSP architectures in deep-submicron technology

This paper investigates the use of quaternary current mode signaling to minimize the power dissipation associated with inter-module communication. We formulate a condition specifying when the insertion of the encode-decoder pair between the two modules results in a reduction of the overall power consumption of the system. An algorithm LIBCOM is developed which utilizes this condition to insert the encoder-decoder pair between the two modules only if it is advantageous. The HSPICE results obtained for 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS process show that LIBCOM can reduce the power consumption by 15%. As technology scales down, the power saved by our algorithm can be several orders of magnitude higher.