ABSTRACT
Arithmetic operators are among the most used basic blocks in digital integrated circuits. They are the core of functional units such as arithmetic and logic units (ALUs), integer multipliers, floating-point units (FPUs), or multimedia units. They also play a part in memory address generation units and in some controllers. In a complex system, such as a system on chip (SoC), the power consumption of those operators is often smaller than the power consumption of memories and buses. Nevertheless, some significant energy savings can be achieved at the arithmetic level without performance penalty. Furthermore, it is important to reduce power wastage wherever possible.
