Model for software power estimation of an 8-bit microcontroller

Over the last years, power has became a primary consideration in hardware design, and it is critical in computer systems especially for portable devices where the batteries should last long before they need to be replaced or recharged. Starting from this consideration the paper presents a model for estimation of power consumption of an 8-bit microcontroller early in the design cycle of embedded software. The tool analyses the assembly code being executed and provides an estimate of its average power consumption.