Integrating Clock Gating and Power Gating for Combined Dynamic and Leakage Power Optimization in Digital CMOS Circuits

Clock Gating and Power Gating are two of the most effective techniques that are applied today for reducing dynamic and leakage power, respectively, in digital CMOS circuits. The combined use of the two solutions, however, poses some challenges in terms of practical integration of the required control logic and the power/timing overhead associated to it. This paper presents an analysis methodology and a prototype CAD tool that support the designer in understanding when the joint application of Clock Gating and Power Gating may result in significant power savings.