Variable Precision Hardware Pipeline for Power Conservation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Digital signal processing in modern electronic devices consumes a significant amount of power, particularly in high-performance applications, due to the need for high precision in hardware compute pipelines, which results in unnecessary power consumption as logic gates and data registers transition even when lower precision is sufficient for most pixels.
Innovation Solution
A digital signal processing system with a hardware pipeline that includes a precision configuration register and control logic to predict and reduce the precision of the pipeline stages based on the actual precision required for each data frame or segment, disabling unnecessary clock signals to data latches and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high precision hardware pipelines are used to support high performance applications, then processing accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic precision adjustment by enabling the hardware pipeline to switch between different precision levels (e.g., 16-bit, 8-bit, 4-bit) based on the actual processing requirements of different data frames or segments. This is achieved through dynamic reconfiguration of the compute pipeline, allowing the system to adapt the precision level rather than maintaining a fixed high precision setting, thereby reducing power consumption when full precision is not needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the precision parameter of the hardware pipeline dynamically. By adjusting the bit-width parameter (e.g., from 16-bit to 8-bit or 4-bit precision) based on the complexity and requirements of the processing task, the system can maintain processing accuracy when needed while significantly reducing power consumption during simpler processing operations. This parameter adjustment is controlled through software or hardware logic that analyzes the data characteristics.
2Reliability
If fixed high precision is maintained for all data frames, then processing reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial precision action by using high precision only when necessary and reducing precision for data frames or segments that do not require full precision. Instead of maintaining excessive precision (16-bit) for all processing operations, the system selectively applies appropriate precision levels (e.g., 8-bit or 4-bit) based on the actual needs of each data segment, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining processing reliability where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data processing into different precision levels. Different portions of the data stream (different frames or segments within frames) are processed at different precision levels based on their individual requirements. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high precision for critical segments while using lower precision for less critical segments, balancing reliability and power consumption.
3Manufacturing precision
If maximum precision is used in all pipeline stages, then processing quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic reconfiguration capability to the hardware pipeline, allowing it to change its precision level based on processing requirements. This dynamic aspect enables the pipeline to simplify its structure (use fewer bits and simpler logic gates) when maximum precision is not needed, thereby reducing effective device complexity while maintaining the capability to achieve maximum precision when required.
Data Source
AI summary
A digital signal processor includes a variable precision hardware pipeline that provides a maximum level of precision using a first plurality of bits for a mathematical representation. The pipeline stages include data registers to store the first plurality of bits. A precision select module selects a level of precision for processing a block of instructions and sets a precision control register. Logic circuitry utilizes the precision control register to gate the clock signal for one or more of the first plurality of bits to reduce the precision of the hardware pipeline. The logic circuitry disables the clock signal for the data latches in the pipeline corresponding to bits to be disabled to reduce the precision. By disabling the clock signal for the data registers, the amount of power consumed by the pipeline can be reduced.