Frequency-Dependent Power Consumption Modeling of CMOS Transmitters for WNoC Architectures

Wireless Network-on-Chip (WNoC) systems, which wirelessly interconnect the chips of a computing system, have been proposed as a complement to existing chip-to-chip wired links. However, their feasibility depends on the availability of custom-designed high-speed, tiny, ultra-efficient transceivers. This represents a challenge due to the tradeoffs between bandwidth, area, and energy efficiency that are found as frequency increases, which suggests that there is an optimal frequency region. To aid in the search for such an optimal design point, this paper presents a behavioral model that quantifies the expected power consumption of oscillators, mixers, and power amplifiers as a function of frequency. The model is built on extensive surveys of the respective sub-blocks, all based on experimental data. By putting together the models of the three sub-blocks, a comprehensive power model is obtained, which will aid in selecting the optimal operating frequency for WNoC systems.