Memory Segmentation to Exploit Sleep Mode Operation

Sleep mode operation and exploiting it to minimize the average power consumption are of great importance. In this paper, we formulate the memory segmentation/partitioning problem to exploit sleep mode operation and show that the problem is NP-complete. We present polynomial time algorithms for special classes of the problem. Some generalizations of the problem are discussed. Preliminary experiments are conducted to show the effectiveness of the algorithms and applicability of the approach. The experimental data confirm that a careful partitioning allows up to 40% more sleep time which could be exploited to minimize the average power consumption. Directions for further research in this area are presented.