Graceful performance modulation for power-neutral transient computing systems
Graceful performance modulation for power-neutral transient computing systems
Transient computing systems do not have energy storage, and operate directly from energy harvesting. These systems are often faced with the inherent challenge of low-current or transient power supply. In this paper, we propose “power-neutral” operation, a new paradigm for such systems, whereby the instantaneous power consumption of the system must match the instantaneous harvested power. Power neutrality is achieved using a control algorithm for dynamic frequency scaling (DFS), modulating system performance gracefully in response to the incoming power. Detailed system model is used to determine design parameters for selecting the system voltage thresholds where the operating frequency will be raised or lowered, or the system will be hibernated. The proposed control algorithm for power-neutral operation is experimentally validated using a microcontroller incorporating voltage threshold-based interrupts for frequency scaling. The microcontroller is powered directly from real energy harvesters; results demonstrate that a power-neutral system sustains operation for 4–88% longer with up to 21% speedup in application execution.
738-749
Balsamo, Domenico
fa2dc20a-e3da-4d74-9070-9c61c6a471ba
Das, Anup
2a0d6cea-309b-4053-a62e-234807f89306
Weddell, Alex
3d8c4d63-19b1-4072-a779-84d487fd6f03
Brunelli, Davide
0919a9ce-d340-4d61-ac77-94078f4d5e89
Al-Hashimi, Bashir M.
0b29c671-a6d2-459c-af68-c4614dce3b5d
Merrett, Geoff V.
89b3a696-41de-44c3-89aa-b0aa29f54020
Benini, Luca
158d569b-b7d4-4d91-9935-4267ea8fd494
May 2016
Balsamo, Domenico
fa2dc20a-e3da-4d74-9070-9c61c6a471ba
Das, Anup
2a0d6cea-309b-4053-a62e-234807f89306
Weddell, Alex
3d8c4d63-19b1-4072-a779-84d487fd6f03
Brunelli, Davide
0919a9ce-d340-4d61-ac77-94078f4d5e89
Al-Hashimi, Bashir M.
0b29c671-a6d2-459c-af68-c4614dce3b5d
Merrett, Geoff V.
89b3a696-41de-44c3-89aa-b0aa29f54020
Benini, Luca
158d569b-b7d4-4d91-9935-4267ea8fd494
Balsamo, Domenico, Das, Anup, Weddell, Alex, Brunelli, Davide, Al-Hashimi, Bashir M., Merrett, Geoff V. and Benini, Luca
(2016)
Graceful performance modulation for power-neutral transient computing systems.
IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, 35 (5), , [7403941].
(doi:10.1109/TCAD.2016.2527713).
Abstract
Transient computing systems do not have energy storage, and operate directly from energy harvesting. These systems are often faced with the inherent challenge of low-current or transient power supply. In this paper, we propose “power-neutral” operation, a new paradigm for such systems, whereby the instantaneous power consumption of the system must match the instantaneous harvested power. Power neutrality is achieved using a control algorithm for dynamic frequency scaling (DFS), modulating system performance gracefully in response to the incoming power. Detailed system model is used to determine design parameters for selecting the system voltage thresholds where the operating frequency will be raised or lowered, or the system will be hibernated. The proposed control algorithm for power-neutral operation is experimentally validated using a microcontroller incorporating voltage threshold-based interrupts for frequency scaling. The microcontroller is powered directly from real energy harvesters; results demonstrate that a power-neutral system sustains operation for 4–88% longer with up to 21% speedup in application execution.
Text
tcad15dfs.pdf
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 15 January 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 February 2016
Published date: May 2016
Organisations:
Electronic & Software Systems, EEE
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 386635
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/386635
PURE UUID: e863146c-d85e-4493-97a3-024d36acfc7d
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 29 Jan 2016 12:06
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:25
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Domenico Balsamo
Author:
Anup Das
Author:
Alex Weddell
Author:
Davide Brunelli
Author:
Bashir M. Al-Hashimi
Author:
Geoff V. Merrett
Author:
Luca Benini
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics