| By Business Wire |
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| February 21, 2013 09:00 PM EST |
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Toshiba
Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced the development of an
innovative low-power technology for embedded SRAM for application in
smart phones and other mobile products. The new technology reduces
active and standby power in temperatures ranging from room temperature
(RT) to high temperature (HT) by using a bit line power calculator
(BLPC) and a digitally controllable retention circuit (DCRC). A
prototype has been confirmed to reduce active and standby power
consumption at 25°C by 27% and 85%, respectively.
Toshiba presented this development at the
2013 International Solid-State Circuit Conference in San Francisco,
CA on February 20(1).
Longer battery life requires lower power consumption in both high
performance and low performance modes (MP3 decoding, background
processing, etc.). As low performance applications require only tens of
MHz operation, SRAM temperature remains around RT, where active and
leakage power consumptions are comparable. Given this, the key issue is
to reduce active and standby power from HT to RT.
Toshiba's new technology applies a BLPC and DCRC. The BLPC predicts
power consumption of bit lines by using replicated bit lines to monitor
the frequency of the ring oscillator. It minimizes the active power of
the SRAM in certain conditions by monitoring the current consumption of
the SRAM rest circuits. The DCRC greatly decreases standby power in the
retention circuit by periodically activating itself to update the size
of the buffer of the retention driver.
Toshiba will continue to develop technologies that contribute to high
performance, low power system LSI for mobile products.
Notes: (1) Number: 18.3, "A 27% Active and 85% Standby Power Reduction
in Dual-Power-Supply SRAM Using BL Power Calculator and Digitally
Controllable Retention Circuit"
About Toshiba
Toshiba is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider
and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems.
Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of
businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail
solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors,
storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure
systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions,
medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances.
