系统集成芯片(system on chip,SoC)时代最大的特点是芯片高度复杂,架构设计和软件成为芯片设计不可分割的部分;随着半导体工艺技术进步到超深亚微米,功耗已经成为SoC设计中不可回避的挑战.便携式系统要求SoC不仅要省电,而且应该能够感知电池的特点并按照某种最优的方式工作,以最大限度地延长便携式系统电池的工作时间.尝试从上述几个角度阐述SoC设计的若干关键技术.
The most supreme characteristic of SoC (system on chip) era is the high complexity of the chips; architecture and software design have become the indivisible part of chip design. As semiconductor fabrication technology evolves into very deep sub-micron (DSM) level, power consumption has become the inevitable challenge in SoC design. In order to maximize the lifetime of portable system battery, SoC is required not only to be energy-efficient but also to work in an optimal and battery-aware manner. This paper intends to discuss some key technologies of SoC design from the above perspectives of view.
