5 Fundamental Power Optimization Strategies

Following are the main techniques that can be used for power optimization as shown in the above fig –

1. Clock gating technique: clock gating is a power-saving technique used in digital circuits to reduce power consumption. Clock gating works by disabling the clock signal to certain parts of the circuit when those certain parts are not in use. This gating technique can further be divided into two types static and dynamic clock gating.

   In static clock gating, the clock to the unused modules, peripherals, and blocks has been disabled. In dynamic clock gating, the disabling or gating of the clock is being done for a specific duration. After that period of time, the clock can be restored to the previous state.

   
   
2. Frequency scaling technique: frequency scaling is a power management technique, where the frequency can be adjusted based on the use-case to save the power. This gating technique can further be divided into two types static and dynamic frequency scaling.

   In static frequency scaling, the frequency of a specific block or module is reduced based on the use case. In dynamic frequency scaling, the frequency of a specific module can be controlled for a particular duration and after that the frequency can be restored to the previous state.

   
   
3. Power gating technique: power gating is used in integrated circuit design to reduce power consumption, by shutting off the current to blocks of the circuit that are not in use. Power gating technique can also be divided into two types, static and dynamic power gating.

   In static power gating, the current has been cut off from the unused blocks or memories depending on the use case. In the dynamic power gating, the supply of current can be controlled for a specific duration for a particular module. After that period of time, the previous state can be restored.