SYNAPSE - a new approach to semi-automated design of ultra-low-power application-specific embedded processors

Ji, Xuan, Kazmierski, Tom J. and Halak, Basel (2025) SYNAPSE - a new approach to semi-automated design of ultra-low-power application-specific embedded processors. In the 32nd International Conference Mixed Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems (MIXDES). IEEE. pp. 135-139 . (doi:10.23919/MIXDES66264.2025.11091879).

Abstract

The main contribution of this paper is a new approach to semi-automated synthesis of Application Specific Embedded Processors (ASEPs). Designers of ASEPs do not have the comfort of standardized software support because the instruction sets are customised. Therefore, ASEP designs are frequently performed manually. However, in recent years a growing interest in ASEPs has been observed. This can be explained by the following two factors. Firstly, in contrast to general-purpose processors, ASEPs are particularly resilient to cybersecurity threats, which nowadays affect both software and hardware in modern SoC applications, especially in critical areas such as medicine, communication or smart grids. Secondly, the usual justification for using ASEP designs is their excellent performance and power efficiency characteristics which are comparable or can exceed those of dedicated hardware. Results presented in this paper show that automated ASEP designs can be more than an order of magnitude smaller, and therefore more power efficient, than equivalent general-purpose application-specific embedded processors. The small size results from the fact that both the architecture and instruction set of an ASEP are tailored to the unique needs of a particular application within the embedded system. The automation approach presented in this paper helps to reduce the high design costs and necessity to use highly skilled design engineers.

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Author: Xuan Ji

Author: Basel Halak

Download statistics