Non-Volatile Memory Adaptation in Asynchronous Microcontroller for Low Leakage Power and Fast Turn-on Time

<p>This dissertation presents an MSP430 microcontroller implementation using Multi-Threshold NULL Convention Logic (MTNCL) methodology combined with an asynchronous non-volatile magnetic random-access-memory (RAM) to achieve low leakage power and fast turn-on. This asynchronous non-volatile RAM is designed with a Spin-Transfer Torque (STT) memory device model and CMOS transistors in a 65 nm technology. A self-timed Quasi-Delay-Insensitive 1 KB STT RAM is designed with an MTNCL interface and handshaking protocol. A replica methodology is implemented to handle write operation completion detection for long state-switching delays of the STT memory device. The MTNCL MSP430 core is integrated with the STT RAM to create a fully asynchronous non-volatile microcontroller. </p> <p>The MSP430 architecture, the MTNCL design methodology, and the STT RAM’s low power property, along with STT RAM’s non-volatility yield multiple advantages in the MTNCL-STT RAM system for a variety of applications. For comparison, a baseline system with the same MTNCL core combined with an asynchronous CMOS RAM is designed and tested. Schematic simulation results demonstrate that the MTNCL-CMOS RAM system presents advantages in execution time and active energy over the MTNCL-STT RAM system; however, the MTNCL-STT RAM system presents unmatched advantages such as negligible leakage power, zero overhead memory power failure handling, and fast system turn-on. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2021

Author dc:creator

• Habimana, Jean Pierre Thierry

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Di, Jia

Contributors dc:contributor

• Parkerson, James P.
• Wu, Jingxian

• Asynchronous design
• Lower power design
• Magnetic RAM
• Microcontroller design
• MTNCL
• SRAM design
• Computer and Systems Architecture
• Hardware Systems

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3998

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uark.edu:etd-5548