Activity-Based Input Operand Assignment for Reduced Multiplier Power Dissipation

The integer multiplier is a key component in digital systems, so reducing its power dissipation can lead to significant system-level power savings. It is well known that the workload in terms of input data vectors impacts circuit power dissipation. If there is a switching activity difference between the two input operands to a multiplier, the input assignment can have a significant impact on the multiplier power. Here, we explore the energy per operation of different multiplier configurations and point out some situations when it is worth considering activity-based input operand assignment to reduce power dissipation.