Analog Architecture Complexity Theory Empowering Ultra-Low Power Configurable Analog and Mixed Mode SoC Systems

Abstract

This discussion develops a theoretical analog architecture framework similar to the well developed digital architecture theory. Designing analog systems, whether small or large scale, must optimize their architectures for energy consumption. As in digital systems, a strong architecture theory, based on experimental results, is essential for these opportunities. The recent availability of programmable and configurable analog technologies, as well as the start of analog numerical analysis, makes considering scaling of analog computation more than a purely theoretical interest. Although some aspects nicely parallel digital architecture concepts, analog architecture theory requires revisiting some of the foundations of parallel digital architectures, particularly revisiting structures where communication and memory access, instead of processor operations, that dominates complexity. This discussion shows multiple system examples from Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) to Vector-Matrix Multiplication (VMM), adaptive filters, image processing, sorting, and other computing directions.