Low-Power Preprocessing System at MCU-Based Application Nodes for Reducing Data Transmission

Abstract

Edge computing enables prompt responses in IoT environments, such as the operation of autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. However, with the increase in sensor nodes, the computational burden on the computing node also increases. Specifically, data filtering and reduction at application nodes add to the energy burden for battery-operated devices. In this paper, we propose a preprocessing system at the application node that requires low power consumption for data transmission reduction. Based on our simulations, we identify the minimum data size needed to preserve the signal. We first design the preprocessing system using a hardware description language to evaluate its performance. Then, we implement the open-library-based MCU system, including the proposed preprocessing IP, to assess its operation and overhead. Our implementation of the preprocessing system reduces data transmission by 50% with acceptable information loss. Additionally, the area and power consumption after the logic synthesis of the preprocessing IP within the entire MCU system are evaluated at only 3.6% and 13.1%, respectively. By performing preprocessing using the MCU and proposed IP, nearly 74.4% power reduction is achieved compared to using the existing MCU core.