Leakage power modeling and optimization in interconnection networks

Abstract

Power will be the key limiter to system scalability as interconnection networks take up an increasingly significant portion of system power. In this paper, we propose an architectural leakage power modeling methodology that achieves 95-98% accuracy against HSPICE estimates. When applied to interconnection networks, combined with previous proposed dynamic power models, we gain valuable insights on total network power consumption. Our modeling shows router buffers to be a prime candidate for leakage power optimization. We thus investigate the design space of power-aware buffer policies, propose a suite of policies, and explore the impact of various circuits mechanisms on these policies. Simulations show power-aware buffers saving up to 96.6% of total buffer leakage power.