textThe design of energy-efficient data memory architectures for embedded
system platforms has received considerable attention in recent years. In
this dissertation we propose a special-purpose data memory subsystem, called
Xtream-Fit, targeted to streaming media applications executing on both generic
uniprocessor embedded platforms and powerful SMT-based multi-threading
platforms. We empirically demonstrate that Xtream-Fit achieves high energydelay
efficiency across a wide range of media devices, from systems running a
single media application to systems concurrently executing multiple media applications
under synchronization constraints. Xtream-Fit’s energy efficiency
is predicated on a novel task-based execution model that exposes/enhances
opportunities for efficient prefetching, and aggressive dynamic energy conservation
techniques targeting on-chip and off-chip memory components. A key
novelty of Xtream-Fit is that it exposes a single customization parameter, thus
enabling a very simple and yet effective design space exploration methodology
to find the best memory configuration for the target application(s). Extensive
experimental results show that Xtream-Fit reduces energy-delay product
substantially – by 32% to 69% – as compared to ‘standard’ general-purpose
memory subsystems enhanced with state of the art cache decay and SDRAM
power mode control policies.Electrical and Computer Engineerin
