Topology Selection for Energy Minimization in Embedded Networks

The trend towards distributed, networked embedded systems is changing the way power should be managed. Power consumed by bus and network interfaces now matches if not surpasses that of the CPU and is thus becoming a prime candidate for reduction. This paper explores the energy-efficient bus topologies as a new technique for global power optimization of embedded systems that are interconnected by high-speed serial network-like busses such as FireWire and a new generation of SoC busses. Our grammar-based representation for these networks enables the modeling and facilitates selection of energy-efficient bus topology. Experimental results show 15-20% energy saving on the network interfaces without sacrificing system performance.