ToggleFinder: Accurate RTL power estimation for large designs

Abstract

Power estimation at the Register Transfer Level (RTL) often suffers from inadequate accuracy when applied to large designs. We address this issue by a multi-mode estimation methodology with two major techniques. Firstly, we use a power mode classification scheme to refine the power-consuming behaviors of a large design. Secondly, we incorporate a functional weighting scheme for easy power characterization. The combination of these two techniques jointly contributes to higher accuracy. The proposed methodology has been realized as a practical tool that can fit into the commercial design flow. Experimental results of an in-house large design with 132K gates and other smaller ones show that the estimation error can be reduced down to only 3 % for typical functional patterns. © 2005 IEEE.