Architectural-space exploration of approximate multipliers

Research output: Contribution to book/conference proceedings/anthology/reportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

This paper presents an architectural-space exploration methodology for designing approximate multipliers. Unlike state-of-the-art, our methodology generates various design points by adapting three key parameters: (1) different types of elementary approximate multiply modules, (2) different types of elementary adder modules for summing the partial products, and (3) selection of bits for approximation in a wide-bit multiplier design. Generation and exploration of such a design space enables a wide-range of multipliers with varying approximation levels, each exhibiting distinct area, power, and output quality, and thereby facilitates approximate computing at higher abstraction levels. We synthesized our designs using Synopsys Design Compiler with a TSMC 45nm technology library and verified using ModelSim gatelevel simulations. Power and quality evaluations for various designs are performed using PrimeTime and behavioral models, respectively. The selected designs are then deployed in a JPEG application. For reproducibility and to facilitate further research and development at higher abstraction layers, we have released the RTL and behavioral models of these approximate multipliers and adders as an open-source library at https://sourceforge.net/projects/lpaclib/.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2016 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, ICCAD 2016
PublisherIEEE, New York [u. a.]
ISBN (electronic)9781450344661
Publication statusPublished - 7 Nov 2016
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesIEEE/ACM International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, Digest of Technical Papers, ICCAD
Volume07-10-November-2016
ISSN1558-2434

Conference

Title35th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Computer-Aided Design
Abbreviated titleICCAD 2016
Conference number35
Duration7 - 10 November 2016
CityAustin
CountryUnited States of America

Keywords

Research priority areas of TU Dresden

Keywords

  • adder, approximate computing, area, arithmetic, configurable accuracy, design space exploration, library, low power image processing, multiplier, open source, performance, power