Encodings for high-performance energy-efficient signaling

Energy efficiency, performance and signal integrity are conflicting critical requirements for on-chip signaling. We propose a code-based solution that improves bit rate while reducing communication energy and preserving noise margins. Our technique is based on the observation that RC lines can be used at twice their limiting bit rate to transmit bit streams with no isolated bits. We propose new encodings (called minimum run-length guaranteed codes, MRLG) that eliminate isolated bits, thus enabling double-bit-rate signaling. We show that our encodings can be combined with any low-power code to achieve both energy reduction and performance improvement.