ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an overview of the techniques based on the asynchronous technology to design lowpower circuits, particularly low-power processors. The asynchronous microprocessors designed and fabricated during the last two decades are reviewed. As it is well-known, reducing the power consumption of integrated systems requires applying many different dedicated techniques, at different levels. This chapter is focused on the micro-architecture or structural level of asynchronous circuits. It also discusses how asynchronous processors can run dedicated power-aware operating systems, leading to a significant reduction of the power consumed by embedded systems — reduction that cannot be achieved using synchronous processors.
