A Framework for Practical Low-Power Digital CMOS Systems
Using Adiabatic-Switching Principles
W.C. Athas, L."J." Svensson, J.G. Koller, N. Tzartzanis, & E. Chou
Exploratory Design Group
University of Southern California - Information Sciences Institute
Marina del Rey, California
Abstract
This paper describes a framework for realizing low-power digital CMOS
circuits using the principles of adiabatic switching.
The starting point for all such systems is the observation that
in CMOS circuits signal energies need not be dissipated but
may be recycled or conserved under the appropriate conditions.
From this observation to the point of demonstrating circuits that
achieve low-power operation and do so at energy-dissipation levels which
are competitive with other approaches to low-power design lie many challenges.
This paper delves into the system design problems starting with
the design of a simple reversible sequential logic chip that
conserves signals energies into and out of the chip and
finishes with the design of the necessary power supply elements
for sequencing and powering the logic elements.