A Genetic Bus Encoding Technique for Power Optimization of Embedded Systems

In this paper we present a genetic approach for the efficient generation of an encoder to minimize switching activity on the high-capacity lines of a communication bus. The approach is a static one in the sense that the encoder is realized ad hoc according to the traffic on the bus. The approach refers to embedded systems in which it is possible to have detailed knowledge of the trace of the patterns transmitted on a bus following execution of a specific application. The approach is compared with the most efficient encoding schemes proposed in the literature on both multiplexed and separate buses. The results obtained demonstrate the validity of the approach, which on average saves up to 50% of the transitions normally required.