The Importance of Low Power Design in VLSI for Portable Devices

 In the era of desktop PCs, VLSI design focused primarily on optimizing the speed of real-time computational functions such as gaming, video compressing, and graphics. While this led to the development of semiconductor ICs capable of fulfilling entertainment and computation demands, it did not address the increasing need for portable devices like mobile phones that require the same complex operations without consuming excessive power. This has given rise to the need for low power design techniques to create portable and wearable electronic devices with longer battery life, lower power consumption, and reduced weight.

Power Dissipation in VLSI: Today's consumers demand devices that are packed with state-of-the-art features at a reasonable price. They expect mobile devices and applications to deliver the same efficiency as their non-mobile counterparts without compromising battery life. Power dissipation, which refers to the product of total current supplied to the circuit and the total voltage loss or leakage current, is an unavoidable constraint when it comes to portability.

Why Power Consumption Matters in SoCs: Power management is crucial in System on Chips (SoCs) due to various reasons, including the costs associated with packaging and cooling, standby time and battery life, digital noise immunity, and environmental concerns. As consumers prioritize long talk and standby times, reducing power consumption becomes essential.