Voltage-Scaled Data Links Using Compression and ECC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern processors face a trade-off between reducing data movement energy by lowering voltage on data-carrying wires, which increases bit error rates, necessitating a method to maintain data reliability while minimizing energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A computing system that compresses data blocks to specific thresholds, generates error correction codes, and reduces link voltage only when necessary, using a control unit to determine optimal compression and ECC bit addition to balance energy savings with data reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If voltage is lowered on data-carrying wires to reduce energy consumption, then energy consumption decreases, but data reliability deteriorates with increased bit error rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by compressing data blocks before transmission over the voltage-scaled link. The compression is performed in advance to reduce the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, thereby reducing the total energy consumption while maintaining data reliability through error correction codes. The control unit determines the compressibility of data blocks and selectively compresses those that can be reduced to meet size thresholds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces error correction codes (ECC) as an intermediary mechanism to protect data integrity during low-voltage transmission. The ECC data is generated from the compressed data blocks and transmitted along with the compressed data, allowing for error detection and correction at the receiving end, thus maintaining data reliability despite the reduced voltage on the link.
2Productivity
If data is compressed to reduce transmission size, then transmission efficiency improves, but device complexity increases due to compression and decompression operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the compression threshold based on the compressibility of data blocks. The control unit evaluates whether a data block can be compressed to meet specific size thresholds (first threshold for single-cycle transmission, second threshold for multi-cycle transmission). This selective approach optimizes transmission efficiency while avoiding unnecessary compression operations that would increase device complexity.
3Loss of energy
If voltage is reduced on the link, then power consumption decreases, but the number of cycles required for data transmission increases due to lower data rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by compressing data blocks before transmission to reduce their size. This pre-compression allows more data to be transmitted in fewer cycles even at reduced voltage, thereby reducing the total number of transmission cycles required and offsetting the slower data rate caused by voltage reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing data into blocks and selectively compressing only those blocks that can be reduced to meet size thresholds. This selective compression approach optimizes the balance between power consumption and transmission time by processing only the compressible portions of data.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for reliably transmitting data over voltage scaled links are disclosed. A computing system includes at least first and second devices connected via a link. In one implementation, if a data block can be compressed to less than or equal to half the original size of the data block, then the data block is compressed and sent on the link in a single clock cycle rather than two clock cycles. If the data block cannot be compressed to half the original size, but if the data block can be compressed enough to include error correction code (ECC) bits without exceeding the original size, then ECC bits are added to the compressed block which is sent on the link at a reduced voltage. The ECC bits help to correct for any errors that are generated as a result of operating the link at the reduced voltage.